Brother of Mine
by AratakaSama
Summary: There are greater things in life than one would expect. Dr. Robotnik is intent on destroying these things and only a few dare to question his rule. Robotnik is on the verge of global control but there's still hope left in this world. Although who would have thought that a small young fox, hated by everyone, would become the greatest enemy that the mad doctor had ever faced.
1. Origin of the Freak

Brother of Mine

Had an idea for a Sonic fanfic and really wanted to write it. And of course it's about my all-time favorite character, Tails. Don't know how long it'll be but anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 1: Origin of the freak

It was snowing in West Side City as the inhabitants closed their windows and doors in preparation for the impending storm. Kids ran out of their houses, jumping with joy from the snow piling up in the streets and sidewalks. Parents scrambled outside, desperately trying to reign in the eccentric children. Strong winds blew the snow into the path of cars causing them to swerve dangerously on the road.

The city was quiet as everybody took refuge in their cozy homes. Everybody except for one, that is.

"Achoo!"

The sound reverberated across the empty playground but was drowned out by the growing wind. However, if one were to listen closely, they could hear the sniffles of a young child. This was not just any child; this was the most hated child in the entire city.

"Alright, that should do it!" The young fox exclaimed in happiness before sneezing again. Quickly rubbing his nose, the fox proceeded to climb out of a yellow slide. In one of his hands was a small metal contraption while in the other he held a black tipped screwdriver. Upon climbing fully out of the slide, one could see that the young fox had orange-yellow fur with the exception of his chest and muzzle which both had white fur. Three bangs sprouted out of his forehead. Wrapped around the fox was a small brown blanket with many patches, holes, and stains. White and red shoes along with white gloves that looked like they've never been cleaned were the only other clothes he wore. The last and most important feature of the fox was his tail, or _tails_ , for that matter. Instead of having just one like regular foxes, this fox had two, identical tails.

The fox suddenly began running through the snow. Strong winds blew against his small frame forcing him to slow down. His grip tightened around the metal contraption in his hand, as if losing it would be the same as losing his life.

Soon the fox was out of the city and inside a snow covered forest. The wind howled against him but he didn't stop running. It was only after the wind blew him over and into a medium sized snowbank that he was forced to continue onward at a walking speed, too tired and dizzy to keep running at that point.

Not long after, the young fox spotted his destination, a group of trees in the distance surrounding a moderately large rock. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the rock was split down the centre into two pieces, a large rock covering the top acted as roof. The split furthered into the ground creating an alcove suitable for small animals.

Climbing into the space, the fox heaved a sigh of relief at having escaped the storm. It had been a rough day for the kitsune. Waking up early in the morning and noticing the grey clouds gathering overhead before running into the city to find the last piece needed in order to finish his newest invention and finally forced to hide in a slide to escape the raging winds, hoping it would die down enough for him to return to his _home._

Yep, it certainly has been a long day.

Though, for some reason, the fox could not stop grinning as he held the contraption in both of his hands. _It's finally done_ , he thought. _Now that I have this, those bullies won't pick on me anymore!_ Excited at that thought, the young fox placed a finger onto a button and pressed it. Moments later, a five dollar bill slid out of a hole in the front. _Yes! It works!_ He thought while pulling out the slip of money.

Pocketing the five dollar bill, the fox lay his head back against his old brown blanket, falling asleep moments later, the grin never leaving his face.

* * *

 _Ok, here goes nothing!_

It was the next day on West Side Island. The sound of shovelling was heard throughout the city as the parents shovelled their driveways after yesterday's storm. Walking through the waist high snow, a yellow fox was currently making his way back towards the playground, his hands holding the boxlike object.

His mind was currently racing at what was about to unfold. After being bullied by other kids for as long as he could remember, the aspect of them not hating him was truly a thought of wonders. However, there was one part of him that didn't trust this, that said to turn around and run back home before he could be hurt again. But the kitsune ignored this. This was an opportunity he could not afford to waste!

The fox was suddenly dragged out of his thoughts upon noticing that he had arrived. Unlike the day prior, the playground was now full of young children building different sized snowmen. Adults weren't present, most likely still clearing the city out of the snowstorm.

Looking around the playground, it did not take long for him to find who he was looking for. His sky blue eyes landed on the back of a gray fox that appeared to be several times older than him.

Normally, the fox would never actively go and seek out the group several meters in front of him. Instead, he normally just ran at the first sight of one of them. For this was the group that lead the other kids to attack him on a daily basis, the prime source of his physical pain. All other times, he would run. This time however was different. This time he had an offer.

Steeling his courage, the young fox began slowly walking up to the group of five. One of the members noticed him and pointed at him. The other members turned around and stared at him with a look of interest on their faces. Nervously, the yellow fox walked closer to the group until he was only about a meter away from them.

"Well, look at what we have here! Young Miles Prower wants to play!" The older gray fox exlaimed, his face darkening as he smirked menacingly while towering over the shorter fox. The other members of the group also began circling the young kitsune in an intimidating manner.

Miles swallowed the lump in his throat and looked into the eyes of the older fox that was almost double his height. "I-I've come to make a trade, Victor." He said, surprising himself with his own confidence.

The now identified Victor crossed his arms and smirked. "What could you possibly have that I would need? You have nothing, _freak_."

Miles froze at that word but managed to continue. "I-I am willing to trade you t-this," He said, holding up the metal box structure. Seeing the uninterested look on the elder fox's face, Miles pressed the button on the box and pulled out a single piece of paper.

"Well, now that is interestin!" Victor exclaimed as he roughly grabbed the five dollar bill out of the young kitsune's hand.

Seeing as he had Victor's attention now, Miles continued nervously. "I will give you this in e-exchange for one thing"

"And what would that one thing be?"

Miles slowly breathed in and out, tensing as he spoke. "Y-You never bully me e-ever again." His voice cracking slightly in fear.

Victor looked down at the younger fox in amusement before laughing maniacally. The other members of his group followed his lead and also began laughing at the younger fox.

Miles looked down, frowning as he fought back tears at being laughed at again.

"Why don't I jus hand you over to the cops now for creatin counterfeit money?!" Victor shouted during a break in his laughter. "Then, we'll all be rid of ya!"

Miles froze as he realized his plan wasn't working. Fearing for his own freedom, his mind began racing for a reason to give to Victor.

"B-but you can't! You need money! You even said so!" Miles shouted before quickly regretting his decision.

Victor instantly stopped laughing at that. "How do you know that?" He said in a voice that promised pain if he received a lie.

Miles' heart began beating faster as he realized that he had just dug his own grave. Fearing what would happen to him if he lied, Miles took a step back. "Uh… I was listening to you guys talking the other day and… heard you were low on money so-"

Victor frowned causing Miles to abruptly stop his explanation. "Is that all you heard…?" He asked venomously.

"Yes-"

"Good." He interrupted. Snatching the metal box in a burst of speed, Victor smirked at the young fox. "Now you're right about me needing some cash, however...I don't really appreciate you eavesdropping on us..."

Miles slowly started stepping backwards but was suddenly stopped by one of Victor's friends.

"Ah, I have decided upon an agreement." Victor exclaimed and pointed his finger at Miles. "I will keep this money maker," he said while marvelling at the contraption. "And you, my young friend, will **never** eavesdrop on us ever again. Got it?"

"T-that wasn't the agreement I was asking for!" Miles shouted but was silenced from a kick to his back, causing him to fall down hard on the snow.

"Now as punishment for your crimes," Victor continued, ignoring what Miles had previously said altogether. "You will be beaten by not one, not two, but _**all five**_ of us all at once!" He shouted as if Miles had just won the lottery.

Upon hearing this, the twin tailed fox quickly tried to stand up but was forced back onto the ground by a large foot.

"You're not going anywhere."

A voice spoke causing the young fox's eyes to widen. A rough hand suddenly placed itself on his head and pushed his face into the snow, prohibiting him from breathing. His arms and legs began flailing about, trying to escape the forceful hold on his head. His eyes became drowsy as he could feel himself slipping out of conscience.

However, before he could black out, a hand grabbed his throat and lifted him up, smashing his back into the side of a tree with a loud thud.

"Don't think you can escape from us."

Another voice spoke. The fox clawed at the hand that held his throat, kicking wildly while at it. Suddenly, a thud was heard and Miles felt his right leg stop moving as he fell harshly on the ground. Looking up, Miles realized he had just messed up, bigtime. All he saw was Victor, rubbing his now black eye.

The older fox opened his mouth and started yelling but it only fell on deaf ears, Miles sat still, too shocked at what could happened.

"Please! don-ACK!" The younger fox began before he was smashed back into the tree. He yelped in pain as the bark of the tree scratched roughly against his back, drawing blood.

The bullies didn't stop there however. They placed him on his chest, a foot stepping on his back to keep him on the ground. Before Miles could even recover from the last attack, two hands grabbed hold of his brown blanket and wrapped it around his neck, preventing him from breathing. The young fox struggled to pull the cloth away from his neck but he quickly lost the strength needed to do so. He opened his mouth to plead but nothing came out.

Suddenly the forces stopped. The young kitsune tried to turn around but he was stopped by the swing of a metallic object.

"AHHHHHH!" The fox screamed as he was thrown across the snowy field. He turned around and saw a blood trail leading back to him as he quickly held a hand up to his eye. It was now swollen and bleeding badly along with droplets of tears falling out.

With his heart beating a hundred times per minute, Miles began to rotate his twin tails quickly in an effort to fly away. While just a few feet off the ground, the object from before, a wrench, was hurled at his tails, stopping the rotation and causing the young fox to come crashing down.

A low groan was the only thing that escaped him as the group managed to catch up to his limp body. He heard the sound of the wrench being picked up again and closed his eyes for the impact. Instead of a painful strike however, he felt himself suddenly being spun around and turned to face the group whilst simultaneously lifting off the ground, held up by a pair of hands gripping his white torso. Directly in front of his face was Victor, a smug smile taunting him.

"Nighty night, _freak_!" was the last thing he heard before he felt an excruciating pain and blacked out.


	2. No happiness for freaks

Brother of Mine

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 2: No happiness for freaks

The sun slowly peeked over the white horizon in West Side city as its inhabitants were beginning to wake up and prepare for their daily duties. It was quite peaceful due to the fact that few people were outside. But although it seemed very peaceful, one person in particular would consider it to be the complete opposite of that.

The sunlight shone straight through the trees, landing on his closed eyes. A low groan was heard before the fox's eyes began to flutter open. An act he immediately regretted.

"GAHHH!" Miles shouted as he suddenly realized the pain he was in. His right eye was black and swollen with dry blood around the edges. Upon trying to cover his eye with his left hand, he quickly winced and placed it back down due to an insurmountable pain that shot through his left elbow upon moving. His back bent downwards and felt like it was burning pure hellfire. His legs refused to obey him for some reason and his tails felt like they were trapped underneath him.

The worst part however, was his head. It felt as if he had a deathly migraine, and with every thought that passed through his mind, his skull felt like it would split further apart. Even without touching it, Miles could tell that there were numerous bumps from where the bullies had hit him. The pain was becoming more and more unbearable as he slowly regained conscience.

Knowing that the pain wasn't going away anytime soon, Miles began to force himself up. The moment he did however, his entire body felts as if it had just been struck by numerous strikes of lightning. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. His throat was raspy, too dry to make a sound. Tears formed at the edges of his eyes, not wanting to bear this pain any longer.

Minutes went by and not a movement was made by the young fox. He wanted to stay there and just not move but he knew he would have to. He knew he had to make it back to his _home_ in order to bandage his wounds so they wouldn't get infected. He knew that if he stayed here, they would come back and beat him up again.

Steeling his resolve, he slowly raised his hands until they grabbed hold of the edge of the hole he was in. Taking deep breaths, he slowly began to lift himself out of the hole. As soon as he did however, pain ran through his entire body once again. His eyes shot wide open, only adding to his suffering. Acting only on pure adrenaline now, the beaten kitsune lurched forward out of the hole and fell, face first into a pile of snow.

The cold snow shocked his sense back and he immediately tried to stand back up, only for his legs to give out instantly from under him sending him back to the ground in a withering heap. Gritting his teeth in agony, Miles rolled himself over until he was lying on his back. Straining his eyes open again, he saw that what he fell out of wasn't a hole, but a garbage can.

Fury was evident in his eyes as he remembered what had happened. _How could they do this?!_ _I gave them something but they beat me more than ever before!_ He mentally screamed.

It was then that he noticed the condition his legs were in. His left leg was only bruised in some areas but his right leg was near unrecognizable. Blood seeped down the entire leg like a crimson waterfall, staining his fur in dirt and grim. His foot hung limply, not moving at all despite his command. The worst part however was his knee. The area was almost completely black with areas of blue. Upon trying to lift his leg up, a sickening _crack_ could be heard coming from his knee.

The sight itself almost made the young fox throw up his dinner from yesterday, not like it was much anyway. Holding back the urge to puke, Miles knew he had to make it back to his home and fast. If anyone found him like this, anyone at all, he knew it would probably be his end. Reason being that nobody liked him. The hospital, which was supposed to heal injured and sick, turned him away at every chance they got. Private Doctors usually pretended he wasn't there until he left. He knew that nobody was coming to help him. If anything, the kids from yesterday would come back and see him still here and beat him up again.

Slowly, Miles stood on his left leg, almost falling as he did so because of the pain. But he knew he had to move, he had to get out of there. He carefully twisted his head around to find out where he was. Surrounding him were trees covered in snow for as far as his eye could see. A bit farther in the distance behind him was the playground, empty like a frozen, barren wasteland.

Miles began limping ever so slowly in the opposite direction of the playground. His thoughts darted back to the bullies from yesterday. Why didn't he listen to his instinct and just run away? Why did he have to panic and reveal that he eavesdropped on them? Why couldn't they just accept his gift and leave him _**alone?**_

Knowing that these questions weren't going to be answered any time soon, the badly injured fox dismissed the thoughts and gingerly held his hand up to nurse his aching head. The bumps were numerous, one of them frighteningly large as he winced upon feeling his hand make contact with it.

The walk back to his _home_ was long and painful. He fell down several times but was more or less cushioned by the snow. In the distance, he could faintly make out the rock that formed his living quarters. No matter how much it hurt, he had to make it back. He couldn't rest until he was safe from them, safe from the kids, the adults, and everyone else on this god forsaken island.

Fear encompassed his tiny frame, compelling him to keep moving. However with each step he took, his will diminished. It was becoming unbearable. What was supposed to be a fifteen minute run was now an hour long struggle. But it was so close, his _home,_ his safe haven.

Finally the poor fox found himself in front of the rock, slowly climbing in as to not hurt himself further. At long last, he was _home_.

Reaching over to a corner, his hand grasped the straps of a small red backpack. Quickly opening it up, Miles pulled out numerous medical supplies which he had _collected_ from local pharmacies. He slowly poured out a clear liquid and applied it to his wounds, clenching his teeth until a bit of blood escaped due to the stinging sensation over his entire body from the disinfectant. Letting out the breath he was holding, the young fox then began wrapping his wounds with gauze using several packs in the process.

He sighed in relief as the pain was now mostly tolerable. He laid his head back against a smooth rock and shut his eyes, resting his aching body.

That is when it started. It first began with a single tear that rolled down his bloody cheek and muzzle. Then another tear rolled down. Quickly following it was a cascade of the young fox's tears, falling down his face and onto the ground.

 _It's not fair!_ He mentally screamed at himself. _Why do they get to beat me up? Why do they get to be happy? Don't I deserve happiness of my own?_ The thoughts only furthered his sadness as he was now sobbing into his bruised hands.

The only sounds that could be heard now were the quiet cries of a young fox. But he didn't care. He didn't care if somebody found him crying, it just didn't matter right now.

 _Don't I deserve happiness?  
_

* * *

Loud clanging could be heard throughout the entire city. One might wonder where the noise came from, but to the inhabitants of the city, it was just another regular day. For this city was different, entirely different in fact, from other cities. Reason being, this city was inhabited only by _robots._

Buildings stretched as far as the eye could see. The streets were lined with the metallic monstrosities, all with guns of different sizes. The red eyes of the metallic creatures were enough to scare anyone into a nightmare. The city itself was dark with few light sources such as lamps periodically lining the streets. In the very centre of the city was a large iron fortress, towering over all the other buildings in sight. Red lights were cast from the fortress, enveloping the entire city in an eerie red glow.

It is here where the infamous Dr. Ivo Robotnik has set up his base of operations, the famous ruler of the Robotnik Empire, an empire which controls half of the entire world of Mobius including the powerful Kingdom of Acorn. This is the capital of the Robotnik Empire and home to Robotnik himself, Robotropolis.

Currently, the mad doctor was scheming once again, creating plans on how he would go about taking over the other half of Mobius.

"Dr. Robotnik!" A short balding male cried out. A few hairs sprouted out of his head, much to his dismay. He wore a white lab coat over a plain shirt and pants as he ran towards a large fat man.

"Yes Snively?" The larger man responded. He donned a red, black, and yellow suit that covered most of his entire body with similar styled boots and gloves. Unlike the shorter male, Robotnik was completely bald, the only hair coming from his moustache that pointed upwards. "I do hope you're not wasting my time." He spoke overbearingly.

Snively panted as if he had just run a marathon. Ignoring the Doctor's remark, he continued, "Sonic the Hedgehog has been spotted by one of our followers! Apparently, he's on West Side Island taking a vacation." Snively spoke quickly before grinning mischievously. "The best part is, his plane has broken down meaning there is no way for him to make it off the island until he gets it fixed!"

Robotnik visibly smirked at that. His most formidable arch enemy, Sonic the Hedgehog, stranded on an island surrounded by _water?_ Oh this was _too_ good to be true. Turning towards Snively, Robotnik thought of the joy he would feel after ridding the world of that blue hedgehog. "Very good Snively…Tell that follower to make sure that that _Hedgehog's_ plane is not fixed." He uttered the word Hedgehog with pure hatred.

Still surprised that the mad Doctor somewhat complimented him, Snively ran off leaving the fat man behind. Taking a few steps towards his supercomputer, Robotnik began forwarding his plans to one of his robotic generals.

 _Oh yes, this will be wonderful…_

* * *

Back on West Side Island, a young kitsune was finally beginning to stir from his slumber. It had been three days since the beating and he had not moved once since returning _home._

"Ooh…my head…" He muttered while lifting a hand up to ease his aching head. Slowly prying his eyes awake, the young fox could faintly see the inside of his makeshift _home._ Lifting his head up, he could tell that it was dark out from the sky's midnight blue color. Whether it was early in the morning or just turning night, he didn't know.

A low grumble resounded from his stomach, prompting him to rub it soothingly. Not knowing how much time had passed since he passed out, the fox could only guess how long it had been since he ate something. His stomach grumbled again with an even greater ferocity.

Knowing that food wasn't going to come out of the sky and land in his hands, Miles stood up to test how much he had recovered. The answer came to him quickly as he fell back down hard on the unforgiving rocks with a loud yelp and let out a silent whimper. After a few minutes, the yellow fox decided to try another time, this time putting most of his weight on his left leg instead of his right. Seeing that the pain was now more or less tolerable, he began to lift himself slowly out of the stone cold alcove.

Finally getting a chance to view the outside, Miles quickly deduced that it was going to get darker from the sun's rapidly setting movements. Feeling content with that fact, he slowly started limping away from the rock, speeding up to a comfortable pace using what strength he had left. Looking down at the ground, the snow which was waist high prior to the _incident_ was now only around his shoes. Silently thanking the heavens for melting away all the snow so he didn't have to trudge through it, the young fox continued walking through the thick foliage of trees. He didn't know where he was heading. The only thing leading him was his nose which caught the sweet scent of food somewhere in the distance.

Carefully walking through the quiet forest, taking extra caution not to make even a sound, the young fox limped through the forest until he made it through the last of the trees. Finding himself now on the snow-free beach, Miles looked around, taking in his surroundings. He rarely came to the beach; too many kids often came here to play in the sand. Now that it was night however, there wasn't a single sound. Taking in the fresh air, the young kitsune felt at peace here. There were no kids, no parents, no adults, no rules, nothing except him and nature.

A low grumbling sound from his stomach snapped the kitsune out of his trance as he quickly remembered what he came here for. Using his strong sense of smell, the young fox sniffed the air and began looking around. His eyes landed on a black mass in the distance, too far and dark to make out what it was with his black eye. Hoping that that was where the food was, he began limping in the direction of the black object.

It only took him a few minutes to reach the black object which he now noticed was a small biplane. His excitement got the best of him as he began moving even faster to the plane. Holding his hand up, he could feel the metallic sheets, the nails and screws that kept the plane together, and the smoothness of the paint job. Never before had he seen a plane this close before! It was like a dream come true. Oh how much he wished he could take a look at its inner frame, the controls, maybe even see if he could fly the plane! Suddenly, however, he was pulled out of his excitement by a loud sound. Upon hearing it again, he quickly realized that it was the sound of snoring.

Being the utmost quiet he had ever been, Miles took a look and glanced around the aircraft. There, on the ground was a young blue hedgehog probably a few years older than him. Miles gulped. He could smell the food coming from the plane so strongly that he could pretty much taste it. But then there was the hedgehog. If he was caught, that would surely be the end of him. In his current condition, running, much less walking, wasn't even a valid option. But he also needed food at that very moment. Maybe the hedgehog would pity him and not beat him for stealing?

Recounting his history of stealing food, that probably wasn't going to happen.

Knowing that the more he waited, the less energy he would have to do this, the young fox carefully climbed onto the airplane with a single thought: _forgive me._

There was no going back now. He knew that.

Glancing over the edge of the plane to make sure the hedgehog was still sleeping, Miles carefully lifted up an unlocked hatch behind the driver's seat revealing all sorts of objects. Sniffing the air once again, the he began taking out wrenches, screwdrivers, and other nuts and bolts and cautiously placed them behind him on the wing of the aircraft. The food was so close his mouth began watering with what remaining water was left!

Licking his lips in excitement, the hungry little fox began taking things out at a more rapid pace. He could feel the compartment emptying and reached further in until he could feel a plastic bag. Questioning why anyone would store food in the furthest part of the compartment, the fox pulled the bag out making sure it didn't cause too much noise. Opening the bag, his eyes sparkled at the sight of the pieces of bread that looked as if they were brand new. Not being able to resist, Miles snatched one out of the bag and took a huge bite into it. His eyes lit up in pure joy at the taste. It was wondrous, a million times better than the molded bread he found in garbage cans.

Taking a step back, Miles suddenly froze as his foot came in contact with a piece of metal. His eyes widened as he realized what he just did. Dropping the bag of bread onto the wing of the plane faster than a lightning strike, he spun around and thrust his hands forwards in an effort to grab the falling wrench, whimpering from the pain at the sudden movement. He let out a sigh of relief before listening for the snores of the blue hedgehog. The sound came momentarily after, relaxing the young kitsune, the thought of him getting caught being cast back into the back of his mind. Placing the wrench down on the wing of the plane, Miles turned back around and picked up the dropped bag of bread and took out another piece. "What are you doing?"

Miles spun around while also trying to move away from the voice so quickly that he lost his balance and tripped over his own feet causing him to come crashing down onto the sand. The sudden movement also knocked a few of the tools down with him as they all came down, crashing into different parts of his body. A large wrench plummeted, dropping right onto his stomach causing his eyes to widen in pain.

"AHHHHH!" he screeched at the top of his lungs as tears began emerging from his eyes, wincing from the sudden weight that smashed into his stomach along with the pain that accompanied it. Never before had he felt so unlucky.

When his screaming had stopped, the young crying fox curled himself into a ball with his tails despite feeling like he was going to throw up, silently crying into his hands. He wanted it to all end, wanted the pain to go away. "J-just get it over with…" He muttered so quietly that the hedgehog could barely hear it.

The blue figure only stood behind the fox during the whole ordeal. Upon hearing the scream the fox gave out, he felt bad that he spooked the kid so much that he fell. Taking this time to look over the fox, he curiously noticed that he had a black eye and bandages covered his legs, chest, arms, head, and tails. Wait a second, _tails?_ Double checking just to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating, the hedgehog was surprised to see that it was true. The fox did have two tails.

Seeing that the fox was now silently crying, the hedgehog moved in closer to the fox, putting a hand on his shoulder. He could feel the fox tense upon contact but decided to ignore it for now. He had never comforted a crying child before; he never had a need to. He had no siblings to take care of and no parents to take care of him. "You okay kid?" he asked, unsure of what to do.

The fox continued sobbing and turned away from him. Knowing that this was partially his fault, the young hedgehog searched for ideas of how to help the much younger fox. Taking a glance to the side, he noticed that his bag of bread was dropped on the ground nearby. Realizing that that was what the fox was looking for, he swiftly took one out and gently nudged it into the fox's hands.

Uncovering his face for a moment, the fox's eyes widened upon seeing the piece of bread and quickly took it from the hedgehog and wolfed it down faster than he could blink. The hedgehog saw this and gave another piece to the younger fox. The same thing happened, although this time the fox ate it even faster.

The hedgehog grinned before gently tossing the entire bag over to him much to the fox's delight. Miles knew better than to accept food from strangers but right now it didn't matter. He dismissed all logic and reasoning in favor of calming his groaning stomach.

It didn't take long for the fox to finish all the bread, afterwards which the hedgehog stood up and dusted himself off. "You're welcome." He said kindly and with pride.

"W-why?"

"Huh?" He responded, not completely expecting the young fox's response.

"W-why did y-you give me all your f-food?" The kitsune asked sadly. He knew he was in deep trouble now. He had nothing to repay the hedgehog with. No money, no belongings, no nothing. "I don't even have anything to repay you with…"

The hedgehog only chuckled at that much to the fox's confusion. "Don't have to worry about that little buddy; I have plenty of money already." He reassured the fox. "The name's Sonic by the way."

Miles was still hesitant about this. How many times had a stranger come up and offered him something only to take it back (painfully mind you) later on? How did he know he could trust the blue hedgehog? He had never seen him before and judging by the plane, he didn't live here. So why had he come here, of all places?

He began to slowly stand up while keeping Sonic at a bit more than an arm's length away. When he was almost fully standing, a crippling pain shot through his right side causing him to crash back onto the ground with a bloodcurdling scream, gently nurturing his aching knee whilst cursing at himself for putting too much weight on his right side.

Sonic saw this and was at his side in a flash, putting his arm on the young kitsune's shoulder as a sign of comfort. This only lead the fox to quickly pull away and use his left hand to swat Sonic's hand away before another shot of pain coursed through his left side as he shut his eyes tightly and began squeezing his left elbow, biting his lip so he didn't scream again. The young fox realized that he wouldn't be able to get away and just laid there, eyes shut tight waiting for the inevitable.

Sonic's heart dropped at the sight of such a young child in so much pain. He knew that he wouldn't be able to move the suffering fox without causing more trouble and the fox didn't seem to want him near him in the first place. A feeling he never wanted to feel slowly crept up on him, the feeling of helplessness. All he could do was watch the young fox quietly sob while curled up in a ball. He swore he would never feel this way again just a few years ago yet here he was, unable to help, unable to comfort, unable to do anything.

Taking a deep breath, Sonic sat down leaning his back against his plane, all the while staring at the fox. He couldn't have been more than four years old. But what four year old had _this_ many injuries and _this_ many bandages?

Minutes go by but he's still awake, watching over the young kitsune. All of a sudden, he hears a low snoring in place of the quiet sobs originating from the fox moments ago. Realizing that the kitsune was now asleep, Sonic felt a sense of relief wash over him, knowing that the kid was no longer in as much pain. With that in mind, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep beside the younger fox.

Unbeknownst to him however, was the fact that the fox was not asleep. Miles was scared, deathly scared. He couldn't run, couldn't fly away. This Sonic person could easily beat him up, kidnap him, even kill him if he wanted. But he didn't. So he began fake snoring to see what the hedgehog would do, only to be shocked when he too began snoring.. There was no way Sonic could have known that he was still awake. He could have taken him right then and there while the young fox was sleeping, but he didn't. He didn't take him, didn't put him on the plane and just fly away, didn't beat him, or hurt him. If anything, he could have been trying to comfort him. Wariness began to overtake him as his eyes slowly closed without enough energy to remain awake.

 _Why?_ was his only thought before the realm of darkness overtook him.


	3. New friend

Brother of Mine

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 3: New friend

A low groan resounded in a certain section of the beach on West Side Island. The groan was originating from the one and only, Miles Prower as he tried futility to block the sun out from under his burning eyes, having been woken up just a few short minutes ago due to the unwelcoming brightness. Seeing that it was a useless effort, the young fox began standing up; grateful for the food he ate yesterday as he felt much more energetic now, so much so in fact, that he could now stand straight up on both legs, although most of his weight was still placed on his left leg. Letting out a small yawn, the little fox began surveying his surroundings. Still sleeping was the blue hedgehog he had met, Sonic if he remembered correctly. In the distance he could make out the shape of West Side City's skyscrapers towering above the horizon casting massive shadows. Behind him was the forest while in front of him, the ocean.

Looking to his side he remembered the biplane he marvelled at yesterday. Now that he could see it in the light, it looked even more beautiful than he thought it was.

After a few moments of admiring its beauty, the curious fox walked to the front of the biplane to gaze at its inner mechanism. Upon arriving however he could see that the aircraft's engine was heavily damaged. Soot and black markings decorated the steel frame, tubes were sticking out from the inside, the propeller was loose and looked like it was ready to fall over at any time and a faint beeping sound could be heard periodically from deep within.

Miles instantly knew that the plane needed repairs if it ever had a hope of reaching the sky again. Seeing as the blue hedgehog was still sleeping, Miles returned to the tools he had taken out the day prior and picked up a few that looked to be of the right size. Walking back to the engine, Miles put the tools down at his feet and began to look through the damage again. Figuring out what it was he had to do first, the young kitsune happily picked up a wrench and got to work.

"What are you doing now?" A voice suddenly spoke. Instantly the fox froze dropping the wrench in the process which ended up smashing onto his right foot. "AHH!" He yelped as he instinctively shut his eyes and raised his foot into his hands causing him to lose his balance and fall onto his back.

Sonic could only look on as his eye twitched. _How can a kid be this_ _ **unlucky**_ _?_ He thought as his mind went back to the 'accident' he partially caused yesterday. Shaking the thoughts out of his mind, Sonic quickly went to the yellow fox's side.

"You okay?" He asked genuinely.

The fox frowned at him warily. "P-p-please stop scaring m-me like that." He stuttered, hoping that the blue stranger wouldn't beat him for making a command.

The tone the fox said it in only made Sonic feel worse however. His eyes suddenly lit up as he had an idea, "Wait right here, I'll be right back!" He said before running off at a speed that shocked the poor kitsune.

A look of pure shock replaced his gloomy expression when the hedgehog had run away at speeds that he couldn't even follow.

 _That was…_

Before he could finish the thought, Sonic suddenly returned with a small bag of ice in his hands.

… _Cool._

"Here ya go lil buddy!" Sonic said and gave the young kitsune the ice which he graciously accepted. Taking his eyes off the poor fox, Sonic looked up to his biplane, the Tornado, and took note of what the fox had been doing prior to the blue hedgehog's interruption. _No way...was he trying to fix my plane?_ He wondered but soon realized that that fact was pretty much impossible. _Nah no way, the kids only around four years old!_

Returning his gaze to the four year old kitsune, he noticed that the fox's eyes were looking straight at him only to quickly look away when he turned back. Remembering that the kid was probably still scared of him for some reason and asking about his wounds most likely wouldn't help their already iffy relationship, Sonic thought of what to say to ease the growing tension. "So you like planes?"

The fox only nodded his head in response. _Well it's a start…_ He thought. "What were you doing with my wrench?"

The fox lowered his face into his knees, still avoiding eye contact with the blue hedgehog. "I-I couldn't repay y-you any other way so I-I wanted to fix your plane…" He muttered so quietly Sonic almost couldn't hear him.

"Kid, you don't have to- WAIT WHAT?!" Sonic exclaimed so loudly that Miles was forced to cover his ears. "Uh, sorry kid but I don't think I heard you right. Did you say that _you_ were gonna fix my plane?"

When the fox nodded his head somberly, Sonic could only look at him in shock. "I was runnin around town all day yesterday tryin to find someone to fix it but nobody in the entire city knows how! How old are you?"

"F-four?…I think…" Miles replied.

"You think? What do you mean you don't know how old you are?" Sonic asked before he suddenly realized that the fox was probably an orphan like him. "Where are your parents?"

Miles eyes lowered before answering. "I-I n-never knew my p-parents."

But Sonic already knew that. What kind of parent would let their kid get so hurt that they'd be covered head to toe in bandages and couldn't walk properly forcing them to limp? Or leave them alone in the middle of the night so they were forced to steal food from strangers? Of course the kid had no parents! He probably didn't even have a _home_! Sonic suddenly felt a sense of pity envelope him. Though he had known his parents and even though they died when he was still young, the thought of not having them at all felt like a nightmare.

Seeing that staying on this topic would only make the fox feel worse, Sonic asked another question. "What's your name?"

Miles knew that this question was inevitable and was not surprised when the hedgehog asked. But was he ready to give his real name to this stranger? Albeit, he did feed him more than anyone else had in his entire life and didn't beat him…yet, Miles still felt doubtful about trusting the character. What if once he knew who he was, he would beat him up? The whole city knew his name, heck the mayor even made a law with his name on it forbidding anyone to be nice to him. With a firm shake of his head, the young fox mumbled, "Nm hm."

"What do you mean? Do you not have a name?" Sonic asked. Miles shook his head again. "Well then what do people call you?"

Not knowing what to say now, Miles said the first word that popped into his head, " _Freak."_

"What!? Who calls you that?" Sonic shouted. The similarities between him and the fox were becoming uncannily alike.

"T-the bullies…" And with that, Sonic felt his blood beginning to boil. Bullying was no laughing matter to him as he had been bullied when he was still going to school. He could still hear the insults and the name calling just like he heard them a few years prior. He hated it. Hated the feeling. But he still had his parents to comfort him when he ran _home_. This kid…he had no one. How badly the hedgehog wanted to comfort the poor fox, to tell him that everything was going to be fine… but he knew he couldn't. Who knows what the poor guy could have gone through? Forcing him to recount a bad memory wasn't going to help anyone. And despite his gift of food, the fox still didn't trust him enough. Doing something rash right now would only hinder what little progress he already made with the kitsune. On the other hand it seemed that whatever question he threw at the yellow fox would only make him more depressed.

Quickly thinking of something to say that wouldn't lead to an even unhappier conversation, Sonic's eyes widened with joy. "Hey!... How about I give you a nickname?"

The fox perked up at this idea and sat silently watching the hedgehog rub his chin in thought, glad Sonic changed the topic.

"How about….." Sonic pondered and seemed to have a difficult time thinking of a good name for the young fox. His eyes began wandering around the fox's body that instantly began backing away from his concentrated gaze, using his tails to cover himself. "That's it! Tails!" The hedgehog exclaimed confidently.

Miles only looked at the hedgehog as a frown formed on his face as he sank himself further behind his tails and began muttering things about how his two tails make him a _freak_. Realization dawned on Sonic, his eyes widening while furiously waving his hands in front of him apologizing, not having put a lot of thought that the word could be that offensive to the young kitsune. After a few more apologies were made to him, Miles lifted himself out of his cover and wiped away tears from thinking that he had been betrayed again. Giving a sigh of relief, Sonic kindly smiled at the fox. "I didn't mean for that to be offensive lil' buddy, honest."

The fox wiped the remaining tears away from his eyes and sniffed. "T-that's okay… at least it s-sounds better than the other names." Miles, better known now as Tails, replied causing Sonic to let out a sigh of relief.

"It's settled then!" He said not wishing to dwell on the _other names_ the Tails spoke of and began to stand up whilst giving the fox a cheery grin. "I'll call you Tails!"

Tails felt much better now. His new name wasn't bad, in fact, he quite liked it. It was certainly better than his real name, Miles Prower, which he received a lot of insults for, and was a thousand times better than the epithets that Victor and his gang gave him.

Sonic offered a hand to the young fox who cautiously took it and stood up. His right foot instantly cried out in agony causing Tails to double over and almost crash back down before a pair of hands kept him from falling further. Looking up in surprise and shock, Tails looked straight into the eyes of the blue hedgehog that had a genuinely concerned look on his face.

"You okay little buddy?"

An unknown feeling suddenly flooded the fox child. It felt foreign as if it had never been felt before which was quite true. An unexplainable feeling of comfort that came from the blue hedgehog who towered over Tails' head. Nobody had ever been this close in proximity to him unless it was with a closed fist or a steel-toed boot. Now, for once he felt completely at peace. Not a single thought passed through his mind. All he wished for was for this moment to last forever. However as he slowly came back to reality, his mouth was still agape in a shocked expression as the hedgehog helped him stand back up on his own two feet.

Already missing the warmth he felt in his stomach and being too unsure of what to say at that moment, Tails turned back around and retrieved the steel wrench he had dropped earlier, careful not to fall down again. He no longer felt just the necessity of paying back Sonic for giving him food. No, added onto that now was a feeling that he had to thank the hedgehog for being extraordinarily kind to him, more so than anyone had ever been in his entire short life.

Sonic saw the determination in the little kitsune's eyes and smiled at the fact that he was no longer sad. Though he was still unsure if a four year old fox could repair such a complicated piece of machinery, his doubts were quickly erased when he observed Tails' skill with a wrench, screwdriver, and other tools that even he didn't know how to use. Combined this with the fox's knowledge of knowing exactly what he was doing and knowing precisely where the outwards tubes were supposed to plug back in, Sonic was insanely impressed and saw that his plane was in good, if not a little young, hands.

"That's amazing Tails! Nobody in the entire city could fix this plane for me and now you're fixin it like a pro!" Sonic praised ecstatically at the young fox's talent but upon seeing all of Tails' concentration focused solely on fixing the downed aircraft, Sonic realized that he probably shouldn't bother the busy kitsune. Looking up in the sky, the sun was almost nearing its highest point meaning it would be lunch time soon. Remembering that neither he nor the fox had eaten breakfast, Sonic grinned as he recalled a chili dog stand he had seen yesterday. "Hold on Tails, I'll go get us some lunch!" The hedgehog then ran away faster than Tails could process what he said.

Letting out a breath of air he didn't even realize he was holding, Tails resumed fixing the plane. While working, thoughts of the mysterious blue hedgehog began to fill his brain. Why was he so nice? What was he gaining by helping a poor, abandoned fox in a city he had never been to before? Then there was the compliment he received. He was never complimented for anything he did. Despite being a young genius (a side effect of caring for himself since forever), none of his ideas or inventions ever received praise despite some of them being even more challenging than simply fixing a biplane. It made him feel good, as if he was helpful, like he still had a use in this world. That was why he had frozen. Why didn't he know what to say when receiving a compliment? It wasn't anything special, just a few simple words pieced together. But then why did it make him, a young genius who most of the time knew what to do, freeze?

The fox was so enveloped in his thoughts however that he didn't notice how much pressure he was applying to the small screwdriver in his hand. With a loud snap, the tip flew off and landed at his feet. Picking up the piece and frowning at the minor setback, Tails knew that he would need the screwdriver in order to put the engine back together. Glancing back over the tools that were still laid out on the wing and or sand, the young fox sighed as he saw that none of them were the correct size. Putting down the tools in his hands, Tails began the slow trek back to his _home_ where he knew he had a spare screwdriver of the right size, all the while making sure to walk slowly so as to not injure himself further.

* * *

 _Alright, where is that chili dog stand I saw yesterday?_ The blue blur wondered while racing through the City of West Side Island. Looking around the busy intersection, Sonic spotted the chili dog stand behind a large crowd. Quickly zooming around the group of Mobians, the speedy hedgehog ran up to the stand gaining the attention of an old wrinkled man with a tiny yellow hat on his head.

"What can I do for ya son?" The old man smiled happily.

"Ten chili dogs please!" Sonic replied as he fished into his wallet to pay for the meal.

The old man's eyes widened at the unusually large number. "Ten?! Think you can eat that much boy?"

Sonic chuckled slightly at the old man's reaction. "Don't worry; it's for my friend too." Though he had no doubt in saying that he could eat all ten chili dogs.

"Well, if ya say so." The man seemed to visibly relax. Taking the money that Sonic held out for him, the old man began looking for change before a quick shake of the head from the blue hedgehog caused him to laugh while putting the money away. "Never seen ya here before other than yesterday, new in town?" He asked while preparing the chili dogs.

"Yep, just flew in and thought I should take a vacation." Sonic replied.

"Haha, well I hope you enjoy your stay, West Side Island has lots to offer!" The old man gleamed as if he were still young.

Looking around at all the busy people, Sonic suddenly thought of a question to ask the man. "Hey mister," He began. "You ever seen a two tailed fox around here?"

The old man's features seemed to age a hundred years, a dark scowl encompassing his former cheery smile. "I'd stay away from that _fox_ if I were you. Ever since the government made it a law to not interact with him the lives in this city have turned for the better." He spoke with a hint of venom in his voice.

Intrigued by this peculiar law, Sonic decided to investigate further knowing full well that Tails most likely wouldn't talk to him about any of this. "How come a law like that even exists? The fox is only four years old."

Noticing that this stranger knew the age of the fox, the old man's head perked up but continued regardless. "Ever heard of the West Island Split four years ago?" Sonic nodded his head unsurely. He had just been seven years old at the time and the exact details of the event were a little fuzzy due to him not paying that much attention to news.

Seeing the hedgehog's wavering response, the old man decided to elaborate. "They say that four years ago at the exact date and time of the fox's birth, Dr. Ivo Robotnik himself had come to our city in a warship and met up with the mayor. Nobody except the mayor and Robotnik himself knows exactly what it is they discussed but it definitely wasn't good. Robotnik was absolutely furious and used his warship's cannons to blast the edges of the city killing many people and completely severing our connection with the mainland and pushing the island out farther into the ocean." He spoke with a serious tone. "Nobody knows why he did it or why he didn't just kill us all. But one thing is for certain, a baby fox that had not been here previously was suddenly here. Several tried to adopt the kid but only disaster followed. All who adopted the fox were killed in _freak_ accidents. Unexplainable deaths right in the middle of the night. People falling off of buildings into busy traffic for seemingly no reason. Pretty soon all those who were just _nice_ to the kid were being punished. Not soon after that the mayor created the law banning all from interacting with him in any way shape or form stating that it would only attract **bad luck**."

The old man finished his lengthy explanation. "However, I've seen older kids beating the fox boy, with the worst one happening a few days ago. Beating him does not seem to generate the **bad luck** , in fact, it might even bring about good luck. Every time I've seen him be beat, nothing but good fortune seems to befall this city." He finished and handed Sonic a bag of chili dogs.

Sonic however was lost deep in thought. Shocked at the history of his young friend and agitated that these _people_ would leave the child just because of some stupid superstitions. When he heard that they _beat_ him because it seemed to give them good luck however was the final straw. Taking the bag from the older man, Sonic turned away before asking one last question. "And you? What are your thoughts on him?"

The old man's face seemed to become darker despite it being a sunny day. He scoffed at the question as if the answer was plain and obvious. "My son and wife were taken from me on that day, that _freak_ can go _**die**_ for all I car-". But before he could even finish his sentence, Sonic bolted away leaving nothing but a steaming blue trail in his wake.

* * *

"It must be around here somewhere!" Tails muttered to himself in frustration. He had been searching for his tools for a couple of minutes now inside his _home._ Sighing in defeat, the yellow kitsune leaned back against a rock as he tried to remember where he last left the screwdriver. A peculiar sound in the distance broke him out of his concentration as his emotions finally overtook him. _Where is it?!_ He mentally screamed. _Without it, I can't repay Sonic!_

Checking behind a large rock for what felt like the millionth time, Tails sighed in both sadness and anger. Sadness from his inability to be useful when it mattered most and angry at not being able to find such a simple object.

He was again broken out of his thoughts when the sound echoed over the forest once again. This time however with his enhanced hearing, he could faintly make out what was a voice.

 _Must be Sonic trying to find me…_ Tails sighed and berated himself for his uselessness. He climbed out of his _house_ so he could meet the blue hedgehog all the while trying desperately to remember where he had misplaced the screw driver.

The sudden voice broke out over the treetops once again, a little closer this time. Cupping his hands together over his mouth, Tails yelled back to the voice, "I'm here Sonic!" The voice suddenly rang out once again, only this time, Tails could make out what it was saying and one thing was for sure.

That was **not** Sonic.

Panic began to set in. He couldn't run away, his legs made that obviously apparent but staying was no longer an option since they knew he was here. Could he fight them all just by himself or should he just take his chances and flee? The snow would leave his footprints which they could then follow and catch him. Could he fly with the injuries his tails had endured?

Time was running out. Tails knew he had to do something and fast. Deciding that the chances of surviving were much greater if he fled, the young fox began quickly half limping away from the oncoming voices.

Fear shocked his entire body into action. They were closing in on him no matter how many steps he took. Another yell resounded through the otherwise empty forest. This time it wasn't calling his name, it was a signal to his friends telling them what he had found. A footprint. _His_ footprint.

He could hear them behind him. They spotted him. He couldn't run anymore. They surrounded him. A steel-toed boot sent him sprawling to the ground. A fist caught him in his forehead knocking him back down. A swift kick sent him flying into the unforgiving bark of a tree. They were speaking but he couldn't make out their words. His vision blurred as he saw it, blood leaking back into his line of sight. His movements were slow and heavy as if thick mud surrounded his entire body. The figures approached him as he felt his consciousness being forcefully taken away from him.

" _You won't be able to run from us next time….Miles…"_

* * *

Sonic found himself in a park, away from the center of the city, chili dogs in hand as he reorganized his thoughts after learning of his new friend's past. Conflicting emotions battled each other in his head, unsure of what he should be feeling. That old man wanted Tails to die. If what had happened to the city was true then should he be mad at him after he lost both his wife and child? After the city lost so much and were unable to take revenge on the fat doctor, maybe the mayor felt justified to strip the fox of his rights and freedom in return for an entire city to begin prospering again. After all it was the happiness of one person in exchange for the happiness of a large city, albeit it was also the happiness of a child.

Throughout his life he had never come across such a peculiar and difficult situation as the one placed so suddenly in front of him. It wasn't right to villainize the baby fox that much was for sure. But whose side should he really be on right now? The city which had lost so much in an attack from an evil overlord and were forced to specifically place a ban on the fox else risk the deaths of more innocent people? Or the fox himself who grew up without a family, house, or friends and was beaten and starving for probably all his life? There was definitely something not right here. And apparently the kid was **bad luck** to anyone who cared for him, but that was impossible. Sonic didn't believe in bad omens and other stupid superstitions.

Walking around a kid's playground and into the forest on the other side, a group of kids a little younger than him walked out of the foliage in front of him. The group chuckled amongst themselves as they passed by the blue hedgehog. One of them, a grey fox even looked directly into his eyes.

For a split second before the fox covered it, his hand was very slightly tinted red.

Suspicion arose inside the blue blur as he walked farther into the forest, the group's laughter dying out with every step he took. Worry suddenly gripped onto him as he started moving faster until he was sprinting deeper into the strangely silent forest. The silence was unbearable and only helped to fuel his worries. Not being able to keep calm, Sonic franticly began looking around and shouting the yellow kitsune's name.

"Tails!" No response. He tried again but the result was still the same. Not a good sign.

The hedgehog took off in a blur kicking up a snow trail behind him. His eyes desperately scanned the forest for signs of the little fox. And then he spotted it. Up ahead, a yellow object laying low on the ground. Breaking through the bushes, Sonic finally saw the fox he had been caring for. The bandages which once wrapped around his slender body were now in tatters, thrown about as if a bar room brawl had occurred. The brown blanket was tossed nearby, stained with a dark red patch. The fox's back was turned towards the blue hedgehog but even then, new bruises and cuts could be seen all around on it. Even the back of his head was a mixture of black and yellow bumps.

Dashing over to the unconscious fox's side, Sonic gently turned him over until he was lying on his back, an action the hedgehog regretted immensely as he turned away at a speed that could break the sound barrier as he fought to hold in his lunch.

Blood oozed out of the kitsune's head in multiple areas and pooled onto his face before staining the snow below him in its awful color. His white chest was so bruised and battered that it was barely recognizable. His arms weren't in any better condition; the skin looked like they had been shredded with a cheese grater revealing the red flesh underneath them. His right leg however seemed to take it the worse. Sonic couldn't believe it at first. Sticking out of his knee was a screwdriver handle. Taking a closer look at the base of the object, his face seemed to pale a hundred times over. It was _undeniably real_ and was shoved so far into the kitsune's knee that the black metal portion couldn't even be seen. A fountain of blood was surrounding the tool threatening to spill onto the ground as more blood rushed to the surface.

Sonic was frozen, shock and fear for the fox taking complete control over his mind. _What should I do?! What should I do?! What should I do?!_ His thoughts repeated as if it were singing a never ending chorus. He had never seen this much blood before.

Suddenly Tails let out a painful groan, his body not moving despite using all his remaining willpower. His eyes were shut tightly and every breath seemed to drain his strength. His eyes opened slightly to see the heavenly blue sky above him. His wounds pulsated in so much agonizing pain that he couldn't even move a hand to cover them. Realizing that he was could possibly die, his mouth opened as he spoke a few words, pleading to whatever entity was out there to allow his voice to be heard by the one and only person alive who ever _truly_ helped him.

"S-s-sonic…h-h-help-p…."

The hedgehog's senses suddenly snapped back to him when he heard the weak plead for help. His focus darted back to Tails' head just as the fox's eyes lulled shut. "No no no no no, Tails!" Sonic cried out. He needed bandages. Taking off faster than he had ever run before, Sonic burst into a pharmacy and bought several rolls of gauze, flinging a couple dollar bills at the cashier before sprinting back to Tails, all in under fifteen seconds. Tearing off the packaging in record speed, Sonic began wrapping the white sheets as quickly and carefully as he could around the unconscious fox's wounds making sure it was tightly wrapped to halt the bleeding. His eyes widened worriedly as he now stared at the largest wound. Blood was pooling around Tails' knee and didn't seem intent on stopping anytime soon.

Sonic really didn't want to do it, in fact he would prefer _not_ to, but the situation desperately called for it. His right hand grasped the handle with an iron grip while his left hand kept the fox's knee down. Taking a glance at Tails' pained expression, Sonic ushered a silent prayer before shutting his eyes and ripping the screwdriver out of the kitsune's knee in one swift move.

As soon as he did however the young fox's expression morphed into one of shock, pain and agony all at once as he let out an ear piercing scream that rendered the blue hedgehog deafened. Ignoring the loud ringing in his ears, Sonic wrapped a larger roll of gauze around the horrifically large hole and tightened it.

Looking back at the agonized fox Sonic was surprised to see his eyes shut with tears flowing out rapidly and trembling hands held up shielded Tails' head from the blue hedgehog in a protective manner.

"Woah woah buddy you're fine now! Everything's okaaay!" Sonic spoke softly trying to calm down the no doubt terrified fox. Tails' eyes opened slowly, recognizing the voice to be that of Sonic. His hands, after wiping away the tears also started lowering, in favor of holding his aching head and knee. Sonic breathed in relief as the kitsune calmed down. "You really had me worried there for a sec lil' buddy." He said trying to lighten the mood and prevent himself from running after the group of misfits and beating them up himself for what they did.

Tails only stared at the hedgehog in amazement, the thoughts of Victor and his gang moved aside for now. "Y-y-you were worried about m-me?" Truthfully nobody ever cared about him, not as much as the blue hedgehog in front of him did anyway. Hearing Sonic say that he was worried made the kitsune feel better, a lot better.

"Of course! If I knew that that was going to happen I wouldn't have left in the first place." Sonic said while leaning back to relax and slow his heartrate after the event that sent his emotions and thoughts spiralling.

Tails looked down silently in thought. _He's helped me so much but I haven't even done anything for him yet…_ He noticed that one of the screwdrivers that Victor had stolen was on the ground covered in blood. Taking another look at his knee, Tails knew that trying to stand up was absolutely pointless since he could still feel so much pain whilst laying down. So he leaned as far as he could in the direction of the tool and stretched out his hand, hoping to reach it. Unfortunately his muscles protested in pure agony forcing him to pull his arm back before the pain was too great. Sonic noticed the kitsune's movement and quickly caught onto what he was doing. Picking up the bloody screwdriver, the blue blur found a nearby stream and washed away the blood before returning it to the fox. _Great…now he's helped me even more…how will I ever be able to repay him?_ He reprimanded his uselessness.

"Come on Tails, I'll help you up so you can clean yourself from all that blood." Sonic interjected. Looking down at himself, Tails suddenly noticed how much blood was covering his once yellow – white fur. In fact if he didn't know any better, he could've just walked off the set of a horror movie. A shadow covered him causing the twin tailed fox to look up in surprise to see Sonic's outstretched hand waiting for him to take it. Standing up with the help of the hedgehog, Tails limped to the stream with Sonic's much needed assistance. Sitting down on the ground again, the fox cupped his hands into the water, ignoring how cold it was, and poured it onto his bloody fur. Soon enough his fur was back to its original yellow-white color with small patches of light red from dried blood.

A cold wind abruptly swept through the field reminding Tails of how cold it was now that his fur was wet. Quickly looking around, his sky blue eyes landed on a brown heap nearby. Sonic followed the young kitsune's eyes and noticed the brown blanket the kid always had with him on the ground. Picking up the ancient bloodied blanked, Sonic washed away what blood could be removed and dried it by running around in circles rapidly with it before returning it to the grateful kitsune.

"T-Thank y-you…" Tails said looking down at the ground.

"Don't worry about it lil buddy!" Sonic replied cheerfully hoping to lighten the fox's mood. "I'm just glad you're alright."

Tails' eyes widened again at that statement. It had been an extremely long time since somebody told him that. In fact, if he wanted to he could probably count how many times he ever received those words using just the fingers on one of his hands. Sonic noticed the fox's gloomy expression return. "Hey, how bout we go back to my plane now?" Truth be told he didn't want to spend another minute at the horrid scene and was certain that the fox felt the same. Returning to the plane might also raise the kitsune's spirits, if even just a little bit.

Nodding his head in affirmation Tails began to slowly move in the direction that the biplane was in. To Sonic, it was painful not just to watch but the speed itself was painfully slow. Racing back to Tails' side, Sonic raised his left arm and put it around the kitsune's back and under his arm. Seeing the confused look on the fox's face Sonic put Tails' right arm around his shoulder and started walking. This prompted the yellow fox to walk in stride with Sonic, now finding it much easier and faster to walk.

 _Nobody has ever helped me walk before…_ Tails recalled though this only added onto the debt that he believed he owed to the hedgehog. The walk back to the plane was short as the duo made it out of the forest and spotted the plane not far away.

Sonic heaved a sigh as he leaned Tails against the plane's lower body and sat down beside the fox.

"T-thank you…" Tails muttered briefly. Sonic, who had his eyes closed as he leaned back in relaxation only chuckled at how grateful the fox was for just walking him back to the plane.

"Heh, you're welcome Tails…" Tails noticed that Sonic was now sleeping comfortable with his hands behind his head. A heavy yawn escaped his mouth reminding him just how physically and emotionally exhausted he was. But now was not the time to sleep. Bracing himself for pain, Tails stood back up on his own and dragged himself over to the front of the plane despite his protesting muscles. He needed to do this now before he could become even more indebted to Sonic.

With the now cleaned screwdriver in his hand, Tails resumed fixing the aircraft, quiet as to not disturb the slumbering hedgehog.

* * *

Sonic yawned exaggeratedly while rubbing his eyes with his hands. The sky was a mixture of red orange and yellow as the sun set across the vast ocean before him.

 _Wow I must have been really tired! It's almost night time already!_ Sonic thought while looking around. It was then that he that noticed a certain yellow fox was missing. His thoughts instantly turned to the worst and thought of what could have happened to the poor kid while he was asleep. Just as he was about to run off and try to find Tails again he heard a soft snore coming from the front of the Tornado. Glancing around the engine of the vehicle, Sonic noticed a pair of red shoes and yellow tails with white bandages. Relieved that the fox hadn't been taken again, Sonic calmly walked around the plane. His eyes landed on a little yellow fox with his tails wrapped around himself silently sleeping on the sand, a pair of screwdrivers in his hands.

Sonic smiled at the warm scene. It was nice to see the kid sleeping so peacefully for once. Noticing that the engine of the Tornado looked different, Sonic moved closer to the engine before gasping in shock. Not only had the four year old fox fixed the plane but he also cleaned it as the propellers and steel grid looked and shined as if they were brand new. A newfound respect for the fox found its way in his heart as he looked back at the sleeping form.

Sitting back down, Sonic noted how peaceful it was here. Nothing but the sound of the ocean rising and falling back into the sea. There were no birds, no animals calling each other. No cars honking or city noise in the background. _Maybe I should take a vacation more often?_ He chuckled at the thought. He certainly got a whole lot more than he was expecting on this vacation if the napping fox in front of him was any indication. And yet, with all the chasing and panicking that came with it, Sonic was happy. Happy that he could make a difference in Tails' life. Happy that he was sticking to the promise he made to his parents many years ago. And finally, happy that he had found peace, if only temporarily.

His peace however was suddenly interrupted by a beep coming from the fox. Thinking that it was just his imagination playing tricks on him, as the kitsune would never be able to make that sound, Sonic ignored it. But then it beeped again, and again. Taking a look over at the still slumbering form of the fox, Sonic noticed a red flash followed by another beep. Curiously he walked over to the fox and took the small black object out of his little hands.

It was round and no bigger than a small stone. Other than that it was completely black. That is, before the red light flashed again. It was only for a split second but that was all that the blue blur needed to recognize the logo. It was a picture of a man's face. A very round and familiar face with a spiky moustache and grinning mouth under a set of round eyes and goggles. Sonic's eyes widened as he felt a sudden sense of dread overcome him.

 _Robotnik!_


	4. Invasion

Brother of Mine

Thank you to all those who read/follow/favorite/review this story! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 4: Invasion

The flash of red was all he could think about. _Robotnik…he knows that I'm here!_ His heart felt like it was racing a million miles a minute. He had only been here for a few days, two or three at most. He couldn't believe it. All this time he had thought that he was safe, free from his responsibilities. But now he felt like he was being forcefully dragged back into the world of Robotnik. There was no telling how much time was left before Robotnik showed up but one thing was for certain, the city was in grave danger. There was absolutely no way that everybody on the island could make it off alive, there were too many people. Fleeing by boat would be catastrophic if Robotnik were to invade right now with airships that were larger than the entire island. Flying would be the best choice but the only plane on the entire island (Due to the lack of an airport) was his measly little _biplane_ which only had enough seats for _one_ person.

Frustration tormented the young hedgehog, stressing him enough to hurl the robotic tracker far off into the ocean where it promptly short circuited. _There's no way this can be happening…_ He trailed off. But deep inside, he knew it was true. It felt like a nightmare but this was reality.

Sonic's breath caught in his throat as he remembered the fox he had saved. The poor guy went through his whole life suffering and now he was forced to pay for a mistake made by some stranger he only met a few days ago. He couldn't let that happen but there was also the city that would need assistance. He couldn't save both at the same time, could he? Not only was Tails too young to fight but he was also too hurt to protect himself if the need arose.

Then there were the lives of everybody in the city. None of them knew of the imminent danger that was fast approaching. If he didn't at least warn them then Robotnik's surprise attack wouldn't be just an attack, it would be pure genocide. The police force would be decimated by the fat man's greater power.

With one final glance at the peacefully sleeping fox, Sonic raced back to the city and quickly found the location of the mayor's office with ease. Bolting in through the large double doors, Sonic was stopped by a female cat wearing what looked to be an extremely expensive suit. Realizing that this was the secretary, Sonic opened his mouth to request an immediate audience with the mayor but was beaten to it.

"Hello Mr.…Sonic the Hedgehog. May I ask why you ran in so suddenly and so late at night?" She spoke as if she were already uninterested in their conversation.

"Hey, uh, wait… how do you know my name?" It had only been about six months since he really began fighting Robotnik so he really didn't expect a remote place such as West Side Island to recognize him just from appearance.

The secretary huffed impatiently. "Oh please Mr. Sonic, it's part of my job to keep tabs on individuals that interest the mayor. Now if you would kindly stop wasting my time and tell me why is it that you are here?"

A little weirded out that the mayor is interested in him and at the prospect of being called Mr. Sonic, Sonic brushed the thoughts aside and remembered why he so suddenly barged into the office. "I need to see the mayor immediately about an urgent matter."

The cat only looked at him with a brow raised in a non-caring manner before leaning over to a microphone and pressing a button. "Mr. Mayor, Sonic the Hedgehog requests a meeting with you, shall I let him in?" A buzz was heard before the mayor began speaking to the secretary through her earpiece. When their exchange was over she turned back towards Sonic and pointed towards a door to her right. "You can go in, he's waiting."

A little surprised that it was so easy to get an audience with the mayor, Sonic thanked the secretary before making his way into the next room. In front of a large glass window sat a large beaver who also wore an expensive blue suit and tie. The mayor motioned for Sonic to sit in one of the two chairs opposite his mahogany desk to which Sonic quickly complied.

"Now, what seems to be the problem Mr. Sonic? Couldn't this wait until morning?" The mayor asked with a kind face.

"Uh…Just Sonic will be fine Mr. Mayor." Sonic interjected before getting back to the topic at hand. "Robotnik plans to attack the city soon; I need you to help me evacuate the island."

The mayor eyes only widened slightly as if he wasn't too surprised at the news. "That Robotnik…I knew one day he would come back and finish the job…I just never thought it would be so soon…" He mumbled to himself. "Even if I wanted to help you Sonic, and believe me I do, there just aren't enough boats to evacuate everyone quick enough. If Robotnik were to return within the next two days then at most we could only save half of the population, if we're lucky that is."

Sonic felt his frustrations grow at the response. "But there must be something you can do! We can't just let all these people die! There must be something, anything?!" Sonic questioned in rage as he abruptly stood up and slammed his hands on the mayor's desk. Mayor Beaver only sat back and spun his chair around to face the window, looking longingly at the city, the calm before the storm.

"There is one thing I could do…" He said in transfixed thought. Sonic perked up at this bit of hope and looked questionably at the mayor. "…It involves a secret only known by me and Robotnik. If I play this out right then there's a chance that I can persuade him into sparing the city…"

Sonic recognized the secret as being the same one the old chili dog vendor had told him about just the day before. A slight bit of hope could be seen in his eyes now. "Mr. Mayor if I may…" He began, curiosity overtaking him. "…What was it you told him that made him so mad on that day?"

The mayor remained silent as if recounting a horrible memory. "Sorry kid but if Robotnik finds out that I told someone, the only hope left for this city would be gone."

Sonic became persistent at learning what really happened between them. "But what if something were to happen to you? What if-"

" **No.** " The mayor smashed his fist into his desk creating a very loud boom and ending the discussion from continuing onward. "You are his main enemy. It is you that he's after. If I told you it now then he would no doubt annihilate this city once he knows that you know it."

Sonic recomposed himself from the sudden shock and quickly stood up. "Fine then," Now he really wanted to know what it was that angered the fat doctor on that day however that would have to wait. "Do what you have to do mayor but we can't let them die, we have to save them." He stated firmly.

The beaver nodded affirmatively and turned back around to look out the dark window. Taking a long breath, the mayor sighed. "I will sound the evacuation alarm soon and use all available boats in the port to take the citizens to the mainland. The chances of Robotnik sparing this island are around fifty fifty as I don't believe Robotnik would want his secret to be spread. When he arrives, then I will tell you what he said." The mayor finished while gently wiping a bit of sweat from his head nervously.

Though only slightly satisfied with the answer, Sonic left the mayor to his thoughts and sped back to his biplane.

* * *

It was around midnight by the time Sonic made it back from his meeting with the mayor. Although it hadn't gone exactly as planned, the outcome was still favourable to a surprise attack on the sleeping city. Not a few minutes afterwards, sirens could be heard in the distance in the direction of the large city. Lights began to envelope the previously dark buildings as the inhabitants were woken up from their sleep. Near the shipyards, the engines of three large cargo ships hummed in union with the sirens.

Sonic released a breath of relief, glad that he warned the city before the mad doctor attacked. After all it was only a matter of time before he showed up. And when he did, Sonic was ready. Even with only six months of experience fighting Robotnik, Sonic had never lost a fight yet. Granted, he never had to save people while fighting either but it probably wouldn't be that hard, right?

A faint mumble made itself known causing Sonic to readjust his gaze from the panicking city to the half-awake fox at his feet. Tails rubbed his eyes to try and get the blurriness to go away but was unsuccessful. Blinking as he slowly started regaining consciousness, his ears perked up at the sound of unfamiliar sirens going off in the distance. Confused, Tails noticed that there was someone standing beside him causing him to flinch in terror before realizing it was Sonic.

"S-Sonic?" Tails said after calming down from the shock.

"Yea buddy?"

"What's going on?" Tails looked more confused than ever. The city was never awake at this hour and what was up with the sirens? Were they celebrating because they thought he was gone?

Sonic contemplated telling the young genius what was truly going on but decided against it. Placing his hand on Tails' head, Sonic ruffled his hair and gave him a kind smirk. "Nothins happening. Go back to sleep Tails, you need to rest."

Even though Tails trusted that Sonic wouldn't hurt him (at least, not for now), he still found the gesture to be quite odd and foreign but soothing at the same time. Letting out a loud yawn, the kitsune followed Sonic's command and curled back up into a ball, partially because it was Sonic and partly because he still felt extremely exhausted. No sooner had he done so than soft snores began resounding in the siren-disturbed air.

Leaning back against the Tornado and letting out a sigh, Sonic pat the sleeping kitsune on the head while also letting out a yawn of his own. He watched as a large cargo ship was boarded with restless civilians in place of the standard cargo boxes.

Robotnik was going to attack soon, very soon. And something told him that this time the mad doctor was going to send an army. He could only hope that the mayor's plan would work and Robotnik would spare the city. If not, Sonic was going to need all the rest he could get if he wanted to fight off the invasion whilst making sure nobody became caught in the line of fire.

His eyes once again drifted to the kitsune sleeping peacefully under his arm. _I can't fail now, I won't!_ He thought while resting his hand on Tails' head, determination clearly evident in his eyes.

* * *

The unmistakable rays of sunshine burst over the horizon and lit up the already bustling city of West Side Island. Nobody in the city paid any heed to the rising sun; in fact it may have even quickened their pace. A quarter of the population had already evacuated on three large cargo ships leaving everyone else to anxiously wait for the ship's return. Of course it had been higher class Mobians who evacuated first leaving the poor and sick to scramble for whatever wealth they had. The news had come as quite a shock to the entire city. Fights began breaking out over who would board the ships first. The mayor called for the police to help quell the madness but the situation was already beyond recovery. Stores were robbed by poorer families to try and scavenge enough money to land a spot on the boats. What was a peaceful city just 24 hours prior was now a warzone of blood and glass.

Sonic became anxious at the sight. He knew that panic would spread over the city like wildfire but it was the only way to get everyone out in time. The scene was only becoming worse and worse by the minute however, if something that happened during the night could attest to that.

During his sleep, Sonic had been woken up periodically to the sounds of shouting. When he sat up to see what all the commotion was about, he was surprised to see large groups of people moving within the forest, flashlights in hand. At first he was utterly confused as to what they were doing. _Shouldn't they be packing their things and preparing to leave?_ That was when he noticed their clothes. It wasn't fancy or high class by any standard. They were dressed in worn clothes with patches and holes. Then he realized. These were the lower classes. They had no chance at making it on a ship, but what were they doing here? Then he heard their shouts of a name that Sonic was unfamiliar with. _Miles Prower!_ They shouted. At first he thought that they were looking for a kid who got lost in all the confusion but as time went on, their yells could be heard saying other things. _Get out here you freak! Where are you two-tails?! I knew we should have killed him when we had the chance!_ Which made Sonic realize something; they were trying to find _Tails._ _Of course! They must think that Tails'_ _ **bad luck**_ _is the reason Robotnik is coming!_ He had thought and shifted his body so that he was closer to the two tailed fox, placing an arm over his shoulder protectively.

That was how he stayed until dawn broke over the horizon, never once leaving the kitsune's side. He would be lying if he said he wasn't scared. Not just for himself but for Tails and the entire city too. What if he couldn't protect them all? What if he was too distracted and something happened to Tails? Or someone else for that matter? He already had to hide the fox in the cockpit of the Tornado when civilians stumbled onto the beach and saw him. They left when they couldn't find the twin tailed fox but what if Sonic hadn't have been there? They would have ransacked his plane for their own use and found the sleeping fox inside. He couldn't let that happen to Tails.

Sonic was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt his arm move by itself. The sleeping kitsune under the limb slowly shifted his body as he woke up. Feeling an unknown object slung over his shoulder, Tails looked to his side to see the blue hedgehog with his arm wrapped around him comfortably.

"Sonic?" He said quietly. "W-why do you have your arm around me?" Tails asked, a little scared that the hedgehog was invading his personal space a little too much for his liking.

Sonic noticed that Tails' blue eyes were looking at him worriedly and quickly retracted his arm from over the young kitsune's shoulder. "Oh…It's nothing Tails." He said, not wanting to scare the little kid.

Tails raised his eyebrow at the response which only caused Sonic to chuckle at the cute action. Still a little confused at the situation, Tails' attention was suddenly drawn to the sight of three large cargo ships sailing closer to the city. His eyes widened at the display of machinery. Though he still favored planes over boats the large ships were still quite exhilarating. Speaking of planes, Tails turned his head towards the Tornado and glanced over the edge of the engine to see if he had missed anything during his repairs. The fox had been dead tired by the time he finished fixing the plane and fell asleep right then and there without another thought. Seeing that nothing was sticking out, Tails let out a small smile, content at his work and rested his head against the aircraft.

"Hey look! I found him!"

Spinning their heads around to look at who was here, Sonic and Tails spotted a grey fox pointing at them, one that Tails knew very well. Fear suddenly took over the fox as he stood up while using his arm to lean on the Tornado. Sonic was instantly in front of him glaring at Victor. The older fox began strolling down the beach with a vicious smirk on his face. Not soon after, a group of people of all sizes broke out of the foliage of forest and made their way toward them as well. Tails' voice was caught in his throat as he desperately tried to plead for Sonic to leave. Sonic however stood up straight and held his ground all the while scowling at the approaching group.

Victor frowned at Sonic's action. "Leave hedgehog, this matter doesn't concern you." He commanded with bitterness in his voice. Sonic just stood his ground, pissing off the grey fox. "Hey! Are ya deaf or something?! I said leave!"

"No." Sonic replied firmly, shocking Tails at how far the blue speedster was willing to go for him. Sonic glanced back at the pleading kitsune with a reassuring smirk. "Don't worry Tails, I got this."

"It's all because of that two tailed _freak_ that we have to evacuate! You should never have been nice to him hedgehog! Look at what you've caused now!" Victor screeched in pure fury. Tears began to form in the corners of Tails' eyes as a choked sob escaped him. _Evacuate?_ Since when did they have to _evacuate?_ Despite not knowing why, he knew it was still his fault. Whenever somebody was nice to him something bad would happen immediately afterwards. He could only look on now as Sonic stood firmly, not budging in the slightest.

Victor looked at him angrily. "Fine then, I guess we'll just have to go through you then!" He bellowed before charging at the hedgehog while pulling a knife out from behind and stabbing it forwards. Sonic was too fast however and ducked under the blade. In a blur he kicked the fox's feet out from under him before throwing an uppercut under his chin that resonated with a sickening crack and launched the fox backwards onto the ground.

The entire group was shocked at how fast the hedgehog moved and how quickly he dispatched the number one bully in town. Getting over their shock, the whole crowd charged at Sonic who took off in a blue blur. The younger members of the group were knocked out in one hit, easily taken care of by a less powerful spin attack. The adults however had weapons and took much longer to knock out. Dodging a hammer swing, Sonic ran up the arm of the man and jumped off his head causing him to crash into the ground. A group of people ran towards where he would land and stuck their weapons into the air. Using gravity to power his spin Sonic careened to the ground, blasting away the weapons along with their users. Some of the adults recognized the blue hedgehog, knowing exactly who it was they were fighting and ran off in fear. The remaining ones stayed and surrounded the hedgehog on all sides.

Tails was marvelling at the feats of the blue hedgehog. Another group of bullies and adults alike were sent tumbling to the ground from the force of his spin. Sonic dodged and weaved through the weapons and landed solid blows on the larger men that sent them flying, gasping for air. What was once a large, intimidating squadron was now just a measly group of men surrounding the hedgehog. Tails recognized some of their faces as being part of Victor's gang but even then he knew they didn't stand a chance.

A sudden fist shot into his peripheral vision and knocked him to the ground. Tails eyes lit up in fear as he looked up just in time to see a beaten Victor grab hold of his white furred chest and thrust him onto the side of the Tornado, knocking the wind out of him. Victor's eyes were wide and bloodshot which only furthered Tails' fear as the grey fox snarled at him.

"You…you're invention…!" He heaved out painfully. "They knew…the money was fake…! I was tossed off…the boat…and now…you will pay!" With his left hand holding up the petrified fox Victor wound his right hand back into a fist before bringing it forward right into Tails' face. The younger fox yelped as his head impacted the cold metal behind his head as Victor's fist landed on his face causing a bit of blood to spill out of his mouth. "It's your fault…that we all have to…leave…" Tails' eyes were blurred as he looked to see the older fox preparing for another punch. "V-V-Victor I'm sor-" The blow landed on his cheek causing his head to twist to the right before smashing back into the cold metal plane.

Not being able to take it anymore, Tails looked behind Victor to see Sonic preoccupied with his own battle. "Sonic!" He yelled with all his remaining strength hoping that the blue hedgehog had heard him. Another punch was thrown sending his head in the opposite direction this time with just as much force as the last. Suddenly he felt Victor's hold on him release sending him spiraling to the ground with a cry. Looking up with blurry eyes Tails saw a blue figure with his arm outstretched towards him. Taking the hand, Tails warily stood back up with the help of the figure. "T-thank you Sonic."

Now that his eyes were clearer, Tails could see the relieved expression on the hedgehog's face. "You're not hurt are you?" Sonic asked quickly. Though he still felt a sharp stinging sensation on his face, Tails decided not to make it a big deal as he wiped the bit of blood from his mouth and shook his head.

"No, I'm fine." Tails replied before a loud explosion caught their attention. Twisting their heads to the sound, the duo were met with a sight that shocked them to the core. One of the three cargo ships was on fire and was quickly sinking into the dark ocean. A foreign sound penetrated the air before a rocket soared into another ship and exploded on impact. Turning to look at where the rocket originated from, the two were left frozen on the spot. In the air was a large dark red fortress. Symbols of Robotnik's logo were plastered all around it. The fortress itself was heavily armored and looked to be the same size as the city, possibly even bigger.

Tails placed a hand over his quivering mouth in terror. Despite that, he thought the flying fortress was beautiful. The design was so stunning that it was all he could think about. And the fact that it could fly just made it a thousand times more exciting. The only question he thought of was why it was _here. Is this the invasion he was talking about?_

Sonic however had other thoughts. _Robotnik's here already?!..._ _How the hell am I even gonna destroy…that?_ He gulped nervously. His heart race began to pick up as the menacing battleship loomed over the city. _No…Calm down Sonic. Getting worked up won't help anyone. Besides, the mayor's plan could still work!_ Looking over at Tails, Sonic gently shook the fox's shoulders, snapping him out of his trance. "Tails, do you know how to fly a plane?" He asked the ridiculously serious question to the four year old, hoping that the genius fox would say yes.

Tails had never heard Sonic this serious before and was a little surprised at the tone of voice. Nevertheless, he looked up at the hedgehog's emerald green eyes curiously. "Well…I've read books on it but…I've never actually flown one before."

Sonic seemed satisfied with the answer, if the breath he was holding had anything to say about it. "Good…I need you to promise me somethin."

"What is it Sonic? What's wrong?" Tails asked, a little frightened at the hedgehog's foreign attitude.

"I need you to promise to take my plane and leave. Go to the mainland. Don't wait for me." Sonic stated firmly leaving no room for argument.

Tails was stunned by the bizarre request. "S-Sonic…what do you mean?" Slowly his fears began taking him over. Prevailing was the feeling of being alone, as if he were being abandoned once again.

"You heard me Tails…I want you to leave." He didn't want the fox to be alone again, in fact, the thought made him feel sick. But the fox's life right now was in danger and that was worse.

"What?! No! Sonic I-I can't! I w-won't l-leave you!" Tails sobbed as he summoned all his courage to say that one line. Tears were freely forming from his eyes as his worst fears came to fruition. Thoughts of being alone again filled his already overflowing mind. All doubts he had about the hedgehog were tossed aside and in their place was his heartfelt desire to stay by his side.

Sonic turned away from the kitsune. He couldn't bear seeing his face like that. No sooner had he done so however than a large explosion rocked the very ground and sent a skyscraper toppling over. The mayor's plan had failed. The city was in danger.

Not turning around, Sonic began walking away from the full out crying fox. "You don't have to." He said firmly. Tails' eyes lit up in hope.

"Because I'm leaving **you**."

* * *

Sonic ran, passing crashing buildings in the blink of an eye. He never turned to look back at the teary-eyed fox, only hearing his name being shouted before he found himself back in the city. His heart ached at what he told Tails and wanted nothing more than to go back and apologize to the devastated kitsune but he couldn't. He needed Tails to leave and live a better life than he had here. That was the least he owed the poor fox and unfortunately he couldn't be with him.

A burning building fell in front of the speeding hedgehog snapping him back into reality. _I can't think about that now, I have to stop Robotnik!_ He thought and proceeded to sprint towards the sound of explosions. Turning a corner, his eyes spotted an army of Robotnik's badnik robots tearing buildings apart and shooting frantic civilians. In the center of a group of humanoid looking robots was Robotnik himself standing over a beaten mayor.

Sonic's pace increased rapidly as he tucked himself into a ball and spun straight into a badnik and exploded out the other side, destroying the machine. All the robots in the vicinity suddenly turned their focus on the blue hedgehog and either chased after him or shot at him. Sonic was much too fast however and easily maneuvered above the flying badniks, tossing them straight into the line of fire where they promptly exploded, creating dense smoke clouds that blocked him from view.

"Oh ho ho! Mr. Mayor, did you think that the bug I planted on you was broken after all these years? You can't stop me and I don't care who you tell that secret to…" Sonic heard Robotnik say over the gunfire. "…After all, that man is probably dead after all these years anyway…" He muttered in a rare instance of sadness, one that shocked the hedgehog into stopping.

Robotnik seemed to notice Sonic's presence behind him and whirled around to face the blue hedgehog. His frown transformed into a smirk which grew wide across his fat face. "Oh ho ho ho! Sonic! What a surprise seeing you here!" Robotnik taunted at his arch enemy.

"Leave the city out of it Robotnik! This is between you and me!" Sonic shouted though still confused as to how a man like Robotnik could be sad.

"No Sonic…this is not just between you and me. You see, I plan on taking over this city and making it a part of my Robotnik Empire!" Robotnik laughed back.

"Fat chance Robotnik! I'm puttin' a stop to this right now!" Sonic began preparing a spin dash but stopped when he noticed Robotnik had a gun pointed at the mayor's head.

"You can't stop me you miserable rodent!" Robotnik smirked. "Unless of course…you're willing to let the good people of this city **die** under your watch!"

Sonic grit his teeth and glared at the mad doctor. "No! Don't do it!"

"Oops!"

A loud bang resounded as the mayor's head flopped to the side, dead. Sonic's eyes blazed with fury as Robotnik dusted off his bloodied hands. "When will you realize Sonic that you **can't** save everyone no matter how hard you try?"

A low growl escaped his throat, unable to make a comeback. The mayor was dead now because of him along with who knows how many other people. He wanted to believe Robotnik was lying but he knew he was telling the truth.

"You're not getting away with that Robotnik!" Sonic yelled as he spun lightning fast at Robotnik's turned back. Suddenly a metallic fist flew out of nowhere and knocked him to the side and into a brick wall. Looking back to his unknown assailant, Sonic was met with the sight of a red humanoid robot with what looked to be a machine gun as a left hand. Shaking his head to clear away debris, Sonic stood back up and faced the large robot.

"Good job E-102 Gamma, I was beginning to wonder where you were." Robotnik said to the robot before turning around and beginning to walk away. "Take care of Sonic for me, I trust that won't be an issue…?"

"AFFIRMITIVE, MASTER." Gamma replied in a monotone robotic voice. Robotnik smirked and nodded his head at the robot's obedience. Sonic charged for another spin attack and aimed directly at Robotnik's bald shiny head before a large metallic arm blocked his path once again and smashed him into the ground creating sizable cracks.

"Oh ho ho ho…Good luck Sonic…you'll need it dearly." Robotnik taunted. Gamma lifted the blue hedgehog up before throwing him back down, deepening the hole. Blood leaked out of the corners of his mouth. This robot was much stronger than the ordinary badniks; that much was evident.

Sonic struggled futilely against the large robot's metallic grasp. He could feel his ribs being crushed by the pure pressure of the metal hand. He couldn't escape the hold, his feet swung weakly into the robot's chest but only succeeded in making a small thud sound. His vision began to blur as he felt himself becoming weaker by the second.

 _Is this…the end?_

* * *

Tails stood wide eyed as Sonic sprinted away from him. Tears freely fell now as his mind raced into overdrive.

"SONIC! COME BACK!" He yelled with choke filled cries. But his cry was never answered; the dust trail kept receding into the city. Tails fell onto his knees in anguish. He felt abandoned, alone. He should have seen it coming. Of course the hedgehog would desert him, everyone did! But then why was he so nice to him? Did he find happiness in breaking his heart?

A part of him wanted to believe that Sonic truly cared for him, but the nail that sealed the coffin was what Sonic had said right before he left.

 _Because I'm leaving_ _ **you**_ _._

Those words echoed in his head, breaking his heart into smaller pieces each and every time. Tails placed a heavy hand over his heart as if it would help to mend the emotional wound. But it didn't. Nothing did.

Another explosion in the distance shook the ground. Tails looked up and stared at the looming warship as metallic robots flew out of its underside. He faintly recalled Victor mentioning an evacuation and realized that the city was on fire.

Sonic had told him to leave and not come back _. Was this why? Does Sonic still care about me?_ A sudden sense of hopefulness made its way into his emotional turmoil. _Had Sonic wanted me to live? But then why did he abandon me?_

Tails grew hopeful at the improbable thought. His heart hurt more than it ever had before and he knew why. He needed to find out if Sonic still cared.

As Tails slowly stood up another explosion rumbled in the city. His eyes widened as a large skyscraper collapsed in a heap of fire and smoke. He gulped at the immense display of power. This would be the most dangerous thing he had ever attempted in his short life but he needed to know the answer.

Wiping a few stray tears from his damp muzzle, Tails looked back at the Tornado with a new resolve. His breath was shaky and quietly sobbing. Lifting a hand up and heaving himself over the edge of the biplane caused a sharp pain to run through him but he ignored it. There were more pressing matters to attend to. His eyes were still red while he looked over the controls of the plane and familiarised himself with them. Starting up the plane, Tails wiped the remaining tears from his eyes and sat on the edge of the seat to glance over the sides of the biplane. Pushing a button, a glass window came out from behind his head and covered the top of the cockpit. The Tornado taxied down the beach with rocky movements before it took to the skies and turned around, heading towards the city.

He couldn't cry now, not until he knew the truth.

The burning city quickly came closer into view as Tails lowered the plane to get a better view. Far up ahead he could faintly make out the shape of a large robot pinning a blue figure to the ground. _That's Sonic!_ Tails realized. _I have to do something!_ Looking around the controls of the biplane, his eyes were drawn to an unlabeled button to his right. Going with his gut instinct, Tails pushed the button and waited for something to happen.

A few moments later an explosion rocked the plane causing Tails to struggle to regain control. Immediately afterwards another explosion was heard, this time closer. Making sure that nothing was in the path of the Tornado, Tails risked a glance behind him only to see huge smoke clouds and fire bellowing up from below.

And then he realized what the button was for.

* * *

 _Is this…the end?_

Sonic could only stare back at Gamma as emerald eyes locked onto green LEDs. Nothing he did had any effect on the humanoid robot that still held him in an iron grip on the ground. Darkness began taking over his vision as his vision slowly darkened.

Not a moment later his eyes shot back wide open. In the distance, he could hear it. The hum of a plane engine. And it was getting closer. An explosion rocked the earth, another one following soon after. _Tails?! I told him to…_ Turning his head with all his remaining strength, Sonic's blood froze.

Not by the fact that his biplane, the Tornado, was flying rapidly in his direction but by the plumes of smoke and fire that towered over the remaining skyscrapers.

When Tails pressed the unknown button, a hatch opened up underneath the Tornado and began spilling out _bombs_. Each one so powerful that upon contact with the ground not only did it cause a miniature earthquake but it spewed out an inferno so hot and extravagant that it spread out across the entirety of the surrounding roads, encompassing everything in a burning blaze of glory. Badniks turned to the commotion only to melt in milliseconds as the flames from Hell itself were sent from the Underworld to wreak havoc on the city. The remaining skyscrapers collapsed only adding to the destruction as Main Street was lit up in a fireworks festival.

 _HOLY…_ The view of the Tornado flying away from the raging inferno and towards him as it dropped hell-fire onto the city shocked Sonic back into action. He quickly pulled Gamma closer to him, surprising the robot at the sudden change in direction causing him to topple over onto the blue hedgehog. But Sonic couldn't be more relieved as moments later a bomb dropped directly onto Gamma releasing a blistering heat that scorched everything in the vicinity. Even under the large robot Sonic could feel the heat burning at his insides.

The Tornado continued dropping the inferno bombs onto the remainder of Main Street as the entire city blew up in flames. Tails hesitated to take another look at the city but was shocked to see brilliant flames dancing around crumbling buildings. His heart suddenly stopped as a heavy realization dawned on him.

Sonic was dead, and he had killed him.

* * *

"What is taking Gamma so long?" Robotnik questioned to nobody in particular, clearly annoyed. He had made it back to his Egg Battleship about ten minutes ago and his Egg Workers had left to follow orders a few minutes earlier but there was still no sign of Gamma.

Looking back out the large window that displayed a view of the entire city, Robotnik was shocked to see a red biplane in the distance flying into the city. "No! How did he get his plane fixed?!" Just as the fat one was about to call for his nephew an explosion went off near the center of the city, the Egg Battleship shaking slightly even though it was in the sky. Robotnik looked on in astonishment as a brilliant fire sprouted out of the massive cloud of smoke and embodied everything in its surrounding area. Another explosion went off causing more smoke to rise and impelling the fire to grow rapidly. "HOLY….How…?...That hedgehog can't possibly make bombs as powerful as that!" Robotnik screeched in anger as more bombs dropped out of the sky and vaporized his badniks.

"Snively! Get in here NOW!" No sooner than he yelled it, Snively appeared at the doorway.

"Yes your Roundness?" He asked though Robotnik ignored him.

"Send in the other E-series!" He yelled before turning around and storming away. "Do NOT let that hedgehog ruin my plans any further!"

* * *

Sonic held a hand up to cover his mouth from the inescapable smoke. Even though Gamma was out of commission, he had whole new slew of problems. Getting out from under Gamma was his current priority but the robot felt like it weighed several tons. Had the red robot not created a hedgehog sized hole when he slammed him into the ground, Sonic had no doubts that he would be a fried pancake right now.

 _Alright Sonic…think…_ He tried to formulate a plan. _I can't move the body so I'm just gonna have to move myself!_ Using his hands to dig a little further into the hole, Sonic found enough space to use a spin dash and drill back up to the surface. Climbing out of the hole, his eyes went wide as he was forced to cover his mouth and take in just how powerful the inferno bombs were. The entire sky was covered in thick black smoke. Fallen skyscrapers surrounded him on all sides, all of them on fire. _This isn't good…_ He frowned.

A building collapsed behind him reminding him just how much time he had left. _Alright, I guess I don't have a choice._ And with that thought he started charging up a spin dash in a rapid circle. The miniature tornado helped to quell some of the surround fires but its overall effect was barely noticeable. Finishing the charge, Sonic blasted off directly over a fallen building and instantly caught on fire. The flame's heat burned against his skin badly but he had to ignore it. Spinning straight through a burnt wooden roof, Sonic found himself on a burning highway. The burning ball evaded collapsing holes and road signs easily but the heat of the fire was starting to get to him. He couldn't bear it anymore and felt himself slowly losing focus.

A large chunk of concrete fell from a collapsing tower and smashed directly into his path. Sonic tried to stop but it was too late as he barrelled through the block smashing it to bits but stopping his spin as well. He fell to the ground with a thud, no strength left to move as blood seeped out of his wounds.

He couldn't believe it. All those years spent training to stop Robotnik and it was going to end like this. He never got to do what he dreamed of doing in the future yet. He couldn't even kill the man he hated oh so dearly. And to top it off, he couldn't save the city from Robotnik. In fact, he was the reason it fell in the first place. Regret washed over him like a lulling wave, either that or it was just death coming to finish its job.

* * *

Tails sobbed quietly to himself, his thoughts spinning wildly out of control.

 _I-I killed him! I killed S-Sonic!_ And with each thought, more tears escaped him. Regret consumed him. _I n-never should have press that b-button!_ He thought with his head buried in his knees.

After the unplanned disaster, Tails quickly flew out of the flaming city and landed on a beach. Shock had taken over his mind until he hopped out of the plane which was when full guilt and agony took its place. He hated himself for this. He had killed the one person who cared about him more than anyone ever had before. Emotions swirled around in his head like a wild thunder storm. His fists were clenched so tightly that blood began to drip from reopened wounds. Tails paid no attention to this, his only focus on the burning city.

And suddenly, a new emotion started to form. It felt…different than the others. It wasn't sadness, guilt, or regret. It was something else entirely. An emotion Tails had only experienced to this extent very few times in his life. His tear stained muzzle lulled back with his head as his eyes closed silently, his mind overtaken by the new feeling.

Anger.

Anger at the attacker for destroying the city. Anger at Sonic for abandoning him. Anger at himself for killing his new friend.

And above all, anger that he could do nothing to save him.

And with that, his vision was consumed by darkness.


	5. Elite Team

Brother of Mine

Thank you to all those who read/review/favorite/follow this story! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 5: Elite Team

" _And, who might you be, young man?"_

 _A kind old voice had asked while standing in the doorway of his warm home. A few feet in front of him sat a very young fox looking back with wide eyes._

" _M-M-Miles Prower S-sir…" The shivering kitsune replied._

" _Oh dear me you must be freezing out there! Come inside and warm up!" The old brown fox said with a kind, nurturing smile. He quickly stepped to the side of the door and lifted his arm up to welcome the snow covered fox inside._

 _A refreshing warm breeze drifted out of the open doorway and wrapped itself around the trembling fox, protecting him from the harsh winter winds. Unconsciously his legs took a small step towards the comforting warmth, the tips of his mouth curling up slightly on his frozen face. His eyes closed in bliss and before he realized it, he was now inside the older fox's home._

" _Sit down by the fireplace lad; I'll be back with something to drink." Complying, Miles sat cross legged in front of the fireplace, his twin tails waving happily in the air behind him. 'It's so…warm…' He thought with eyes closed, resting his head on a brown blanket wrapped around his neck._

' _So…nice…'_

* * *

A square section of the wall of the Egg Battleship dislodged itself and slid to the side, revealing an entrance of sorts. Not long after, a fat man sitting in a semicircular shaped levitator flew out of the dark entrance, the steel door returning in place moments later.

Robotnik looked on curiously as his eyes wandered around the flaming city. Few times had the doctor witnessed such chaos to this extent and to say he was intrigued would be an understatement. _Those inferno bombs may be even more powerful than mine! I may have to ask that hedgehog where he found them when my Elite E-100s bring him in!_ Robotnik thought in joy at the idea of his E-100s capturing the hedgehog once and for all. Never before had such a rich and _waterful_ opportunity presented itself to the doctor and he made sure that this one would not be wasted.

 _But that will have to wait…_ His eyes narrowed on a smaller section of the city where the fire was less prevalent. The Egg Mobile hovered around the area before finding a suitable area to land. Robotnik hopped out just as one of his Egg Workers approached him.

"MASTER, WE HAVE FOUND THE HIDDEN ENTRANCE YOU HAVE REQUESTED." The white robot spoke monotonously.

"That fast?" Robotnik asked disbelievingly. "Are you certain that this is it?"

"YES MASTER." The worker replied while motioning for the fat doctor to follow. "THE ONLY REASON WE MANAGED TO LOCATE IT IS BECAUSE OF ITS ELECTROMAGNETIC DISCHARGE. IT IS THE ONLY OBJECT LEFT IN THE CITY OTHER THAN OURSELVES THAT IS EMITTING A FREQUENCY."

For once Robotnik didn't further question the robot's certainty. If there was one thing he knew about the man it was that his technological ability was undeniable. If there was anything that was capable of withstanding the destruction of the hellfire bombs, it was his creation.

As the man and machine walked side by side, Robotnik had a chance to inspect the damage done to the city up close. On either side of their path, Egg Workers sprouted water hoses that desperately attempted to quell the raging inferno that blackened the sky. The cement roads and sidewalks were all cracked and dislodged in the chaos. Adding onto the disorderly mess was the unbearable heat that threatened to suffocate the round doctor.

The Egg Worker suddenly stopped in the middle of what appeared to be the ruins of a former building. "WE HAVE ARRIVED MASTER. THE HIDDEN ENTRANCE IS DIRECTLY BELOW US." It said while pointing at its feet.

"Good good, have you figured a way to access it yet?" Robotnik replied while wiping his heavily sweating brow.

"NO SIR, WE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD SERVE AS AN INITIATOR TO OPEN THE ENTRENCE." The robot said slightly diligently. "BRUTE FORCE DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE MUCH OF AN EFFECT DUE TO ITS ABILITY TO WITHSTAND MULTIPLE NEARBY EXPLOSIONS."

Robotnik furrowed his brows as he thought of ways his old friend could have made a hidden lock. He kneeled down and swept his hand against the loose dirt and burnt wood but only managed to uncover more debris. Robotnik frowned as his thoughts and actions came to no conclusion. Gazing around the former building, he could tell that it was quite small. The walls had been knocked over or burned and the only objects left were a few steel rods and sheets. If there was ever a hidden access panel then it would no doubt have been lost in the explosions.

"MASTER, WE HAVE DISCOVERED ANOTHER TRAPDOOR." An Egg Worker suddenly beeped behind him causing him to spin around hurriedly. The worker beckoned for Robotnik to follow which the doctor agreed to and began walking alongside the white robot.

 _A trapdoor? He wouldn't create something as simple as that…No, this is something else…_ Robotnik concluded as the two quickly found themselves in front of a large steel trapdoor slanted onto a medium sized hill. The door was easily twice the length and height of the fat doctor and was covered in rust as well as newly received burn marks.

Robotnik instantly knew that this was not of his friend's work and glared curiously at the contraption. Enlisting the help of a few Egg Workers, the steel cover was pried out of its slot with a loud _screech_ of metal against metal.

At first nothing could be seen inside the dark hole but as Robotnik peered inside, his grin nearly split his face in two.

"HO OH OH OH…So this is where all you city scum escaped to!" He bellowed at the revelation. Inside the dark hole sat hundreds of Mobians, the former citizens of West Side City. All eyes looked at the evil doctor in fear and surprise. Some of the younger Mobians began to cry which only added to the doctor's enjoyment.

"MASTER WE HAVE FOUND ANOTHER TRAPDOOR." An Egg Worker said as it approached the delighted doctor. As if that wasn't enough, another Egg Worker suddenly made its way to him and spoke the exact same message.

Robotnik's eyes widened to be the same size as his grin. "Seal the doors, don't let them escape!" He shouted to the workers. The sound of protests and screaming could be heard behind him as the trapdoor was once again refitted with a heavy _bang_. "And here I was thinking they were all burned up…" He said and began to walk away. "But now that I know they're alive, I'll make them all into robots for the Robotnik Empire! OH HO HO HO! Nobody can possibly stop me now!"

* * *

" _So young man, what were you doing out in that winter storm all on your own?"_

 _Tails looked up from the cup of hot chocolate he cradled in his small hands. His deep blue eyes seemed to have a hint of sadness to them._

" _I…was kicked out of the orphanage a few days ago…I have…nowhere to go now…" He replied, his eyes wandering back down to the cup of hot chocolate, staring sadly into the liquid. "They said I was getting too old but… I'm only one and a half years old…"_

 _The old fox's expression changed to one of remorse and compassion. He had known who the twin tailed fox was upon seeing him outside his doorstep trudging down the snow covered street. Unlike the other inhabitants of the city, he did not hate the cub for his genetic mutation or think of him as a so called 'freak'. He cared for the child. Seeing one of his own kind on their own, especially at such a young age, broke his aging heart._

" _Well you're…welcome to stay here for as long as you wish…The name's Theodore, by the way."_

 _Miles looked up to the elder fox with wide eyes only to see the most caring smile anyone had ever given him. Suddenly, all the stress that the young fox carried for days was alleviated and tossed to the side for that moment. No longer did he feel alone and lost, but instead felt belonging and purpose. A stray tear welled up in his right eye, not of sadness or despair like it usually was, but of happiness._

" _T-Thank you…" Miles said in a whisper as the lone streaked down his muzzle before coming in contact with a gloved hand. Miles quickly looked up again to see Theodore's hand brushing his tear away._

" _Now, now, don't cry." He spoke softly, his gentle expression never leaving. "After all, you're not alone anymore."_

* * *

Inside the city, fire had already spread to all flammable material and now began to melt the concrete and stone itself to fuel its never ending hunger. Smoke clouded every inch of the once fresh air in high concentrations. Anybody caught inside would definitely burn to death or die due to smoke inhalation.

Three sets of green lights observed the burning wreckage with stoic calmness. One set of eyes belonged to a blue humanoid robot. On both sides of the war machine stood similar looking robots, one light-orange and the other dark purple. All three had heavy cannons and machine guns in the place of hands that hung by their sides.

"EPSILON, ZETA, SPREAD OUT. THE TARGET'S PLANE LANDED ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND MEANING HE IS STILL HERE." The leader of the trio, the blue robot Delta, said in a robotic voice.

"IF YOU FIND HIM RADIO IT IN. WE CANNOT FAIL LIKE GAMMA HAS." The purple figure, Zeta spoke.

The trio of robots split apart, Delta heading towards the center of the city, Zeta to the left, and Epsilon to the right. Being Robotnik's elite team of machinery, the E-100s easily disregarded the blazing heat that would render other badniks a melting pile of mush. The smoke also did not affect their health but it did inhibit their ability to see more than a few meters in front of them. Those were just a few of the reasons Robotnik had chosen the elite trio to partake on this mission.

* * *

" _What are you working on there Miles?"_

 _Miles' eyes gleamed happily as he turned around to greet his adoptive parent._

" _Oh, this?" He said pointing at a metallic dog like object in his hand. "This is just a prototype of a robotic dog I wanted to build but it doesn't seem to be working."_

" _Want me to lend you a hand?"_

 _Miles looked back at the elder fox in surprise. "You know how to build machines?"_

" _Of course I do, I used to be the best mechanic this city had ever seen!" Theodore responded with a chuckle._

 _He plucked the mechanical dog out of Miles' extended hands and slowly turned it over, eyeing the contraption with a keen eye._

" _Ah, I see the problem." He said before setting the dog back on the table and picking up a few tools that were lying around. Miles had to stand on his stool and crane his neck just to look over the taller fox's shoulder. Just a few moments later however Theodore turned back around and offered the dog back to the shocked kitsune. "Here ya go!"_

 _Miles held the dog in his hands and eyed it curiously. Just then the robotic dog let out a bark and turned its head towards its young owner._

" _Wow!" Miles exclaimed in pure joy. "You really did fix him!"_

 _Theodore pat the younger fox on the head happily. "Haha, you probably could have figured it out yourself, given time."_

" _Do you think you can teach me how to do that?" Miles asked, looking up to the smiling man. Upon receiving a delighted nod, Miles pulled Theodore into a grateful hug._

" _You're the best!"_

* * *

"DAMN THAT ZETA," The yellow robot, Epsilon, muttered loudly to himself. "WE ARE THE ELITE TEAM FOR A REASON. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TEAM UP TO TAKE CARE OF ONE BURNING HEDGEHOG." The talkative and prideful robot said.

"IT WASN'T THE HEDGEHOG WHO TOOK OUT GAMMA, IT WAS A BOM…HOLY-, GAMMA IS THAT YOU?!" Epsilon exclaimed in robotic surprise as his green sensory eyes spotted a burnt red metal in the center of a crater. The prideful robot quickly marched into the crater and examined the damage done to his surrogate brother. "DAMN GAMMA, I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU IN SUCH BAD SHAPE."

Gamma laid face down unresponsively. Large burn marks were evident all around the formerly red robot. Wires were burnt out and smoking accompanied by small electrical fires.

Epsilon lowered himself and picked the downed robot up in his cannon arms.

"BETTER GET YOU BACK TO MASTER BEFORE HE THROWS A FIT." The yellow robot turned around to walk back to the Egg Battleship but stopped when he an unidentified object moved in his peripheral vision. Rotating his head around, Epsilon's green eyes locked onto a figure standing on the very edge of the crater, two tails swinging side to side slowly behind him. The magnificent flames that danced behind the figure casted a dark shadow over his entire body and combined with the thick smoke, Epsilon couldn't make out any further details.

"HMM…JUST A KID, FORM DOES NOT MATCH A HEDGEHOG, TARGET NOT FOUND." Epsilon spoke robotically before returning to his usual method of speech, "HEHE, LET ME PUT YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERY KID."

Epsilon lifted his right arm out from under Gamma and aimed at the dark figure's head. A yellow-white light began to radiate from the innards of the cannon before the bright light grew to be larger than its holder.

"SWEET DREAMS, KID!" He yelled as the light exploded forward towards the figure, ripping through the dense smoke and impacting against a collapsed house, obliterating the structure and everything around it entirely and rocking the very ground he stood on. The figure was nowhere to be found.

"HEH…MAYBE A BIT TOO OVERBOARD…AH WELL, I NEVER GET TO HAVE ANY FUN." The robot virtually shrugged uncaringly and turned back around to resume his trek back to his master. What Epsilon didn't expect however was for a swift kick to impact against his steel enforced backside sending him flying to the other end of the crater and plowing into the dirt.

Epsilon recovered quickly and leaped into the air, landing on heavy feet with the help of his jetpack. Green LED's scanned the surrounding area at full blast, lighting up the smoke and dust in the air. The yellow robot rotated his head in all directions but the only movement was from the smoke and fire.

"SHOW YOURSELF, HEDGEHOG!" But no response was given.

 _THAT KICK, IT DENTED THE STEEL PLATES ON MY REINFORCED ARMOR…THIS HEDGEHOG IS STRONGER THAN I HAD THOUGHT…_ Epsilon realized while still scanning the crater. He slowly marched across the large pit towards the downed Gamma, all the while never letting his sensors down for even a millisecond.

Reaching his arms down to bait his enemy, Epsilon's sensors suddenly activated as movement was detected to his very right. The warbot was anticipating this however and extended his cannon arm to its full length and released a bright blast of energy that easily tore up the ground it touched.

Expecting to see a dead hedgehog when he turned to the explosion, Epsilon was shocked to find a fist mere inches away from his steel head forcing him to hastily activate every thruster in his arsenal and blast himself backwards and out of the crater, scorching earth and rubble into mush.

Epsilon raised his head and looked back into the crater and was even more bewildered to see the twin tailed fox appearing perfectly fine in place of the blue hedgehog that he was meant to capture.

"THIS KID…" He muttered to himself before raising a hand to his head. What he wasn't expecting to feel was an indentation the size of a fist on the right side of his armored head.

 _IMPOSSIBLE! THAT PUNCH DIDN'T LAND! HOW…WHAT CAUSED THIS?!_ The robot questioned frantically with wide green LEDs locked onto the motionless fox. Epsilon began to feel something that was unknown to him, something completely contrasting to how he normally felt. _NO…I CAN'T BE SCARED OF HIM…HE'S JUST A KID…_ But no matter how much the prideful robot tried to convince himself, the fear stemming from the still kitsune remained.

Epsilon was forced out of his cogitation when his sensors lit up like fireworks and he had to blast his thrusters once again to evade a splitting axe kick from the fox that had stood lifeless just a nanosecond ago. In doing so he was spared from the brunt of the attack but was showered in an immense amount of flying dirt and debris not a second later as the kick impacted against the earth in a massive shockwave that shook the very ground.

 _WHAT IS THIS POWER?!_ His sensors worked in overdrive to comprehend what had just occurred. Epsilon had immediately dug his robotic feet into the trembling ground and raised both hand cannons to block against the force of the attack but was shocked when only his left arm rose up. His head spun down to look at the damage done to his right arm but was frozen when he noticed…

…It wasn't there.

 _YOU'RE KIDDING ME…THE KICK NEVER HIT…THAT MEANS…HE MANAGED TO RIP MY ARM OFF USING JUST THE WIND FROM THE FORCE OF THE ATTACK?!_ The formerly prideful robot felt his circuits frying at the revelation. _WHO…HOW?! NOBODY IS THIS POWERFUL!_

Realizing that this battle was substantially one sided, Epsilon activated his communicator to do the one thing he never thought he would ever do, call for help.

"DELTA! ZETA! REQUESTING IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND!" Epsilon bellowed pleadingly but was met with no response. "DELTA?! ZETA?! DO YOU COPY?!"

Quick footsteps resounded behind the warbot forcing him to lift his head out of the cover of his left arm. Green LEDs flashed in confusion however as Epsilon realized that he was no longer anywhere near the crater and that there was a deep trench stretching between him and it.

 _THE FORCE OF AIR FROM THE ATTACK…IT PUSHED ME ALL THE WAY OVER HERE?!_

Epsilon stood in pure shock, not even taking in the fact that a fist had landed against his heavily enforced chest, denting it inwards before exploding out of his backside in a shower of fried wires and steel. His body collapsed onto the ground despite the robot's desperate attempts to move.

The fox climbed onto his hollow chest and was now standing on top of downed warbot. It was then that Epsilon got a clear look at his executioner.

His mouth was closed in a straight line and surprisingly, so were his eyes. His face was calm and tranquil, as if the fox didn't even realize what he was doing which only confused Epsilon even more. Lastly and most notable, his fur was a dark grey and contrasted greatly with his white muzzle and chest.

Epsilon could only look on silently as his body began to shut down and malfunction. The fox raised his gloved hand up and wrapped it around the warbot's dented neck.

And in one swift move, his head was severed.

* * *

" _Hey everyone look! It's 'Miles per hour'!"_

 _Before he knew it, Miles was confronted by a group of older kids at the playground Theodore had dropped him off at while he went to go grocery shopping._

" _Are you even listening to me freak? Or are you too slow to understand what I'm saying?"_

 _Before he could even get a chance to respond, Miles was abruptly shoved off the swing from behind and landed in a pained heap on the ground._

" _V-V-V-Victor p-p-please…I can l-l-leave if y-you want…" He shakily said, willing to do anything to avoid Victor and his group of friends._

 _Victor's eyes gleamed at the proposal, though not in the way Miles had wanted._

 _Before Miles could realize what was about to occur, Victor stomped his steel toed boot onto one of the two orange tails eliciting a yelp of pain from Miles who instantly sat straight up upon feeling his tail being crushed under the pressure of the shoe._

" _Freak, you should know this already, considering what a nerd you are." Victor glared savagely at the younger fox who was trying with all his might to pry the heavy boot off his aching tail before he was harshly shoved back onto the unforgiving asphalt. "This isn't_ _ **your**_ _playground, you don't belong here._ _ **Freaks**_ _don't belong here."_

 _Miles looked back up to the grinning Victor with pleading eyes. "I-I-I'm sorry V-Victor, I-I didn't mean to, I s-swear, but c-can you p-please just lift your f-foot it's r-really hu-" Before he could finish, Victor applied even more pressure to his tail forcing Miles to bite down on his lip and shut his eyes as his entire body became tense from the pain that became unbearable for the two year old. A pained groan escaped his trembling lips enticing Victor to drag his boot roughly over the fox cub's tail which resulted in a higher pitched cry._

" _Now to make sure you don't come here again…how about my friends and I give you a nice long lecture about obedience?" Victor said putting extra emphasis on the word obedience. "Hehe…you'd like that wouldn't you, hm? Freak?"_

 _Victor reached out to grab the downed fox by his neck but his hand was suddenly swatted away by a wooden cane. He looked up in annoyance only to realize that the handle of the cane had wrapped itself around his back. Suddenly, the cane yanked his entire body forward only for a gloved hand to roughly grab him by the fur on his chest lifting him several feet into the air._

 _Victor looked on in shock and fear as a much older fox glared at him with pure hatred in his void eyes._

" _BACK AWAY FROM MY GRANDSON!"_

 _Victor froze in the air, too scared to move as a wooden cane came crashing down on his skull and entrenched him painfully into the ground. He shakily began to stand up only for the cane to slam into his midsection launching him back into the air before he landed hard onto the ground._

 _Theodore knelt down and pulled Miles into a comforting hug which the cub gratefully accepted._

" _Everything's fine now Miles, don't be scared." He said soothingly to the frightened fox. Taking the flattened tail into his free hand, Theodore massaged the bruise gently. "There there…let's go home."_

 _Lifting the younger fox off the ground, Theodore snugly placed his arm around the fox and gently hugged him while walking. "Shhh Shhh It's okay Miles, everything will be just fine."_

 _Quiet sobs could be heard coming from the quivering fox but they slowly began to fade as Theodore comforted him._

 _Miles lifted his head up and through teary blue eyes saw the familiar, gentle smile of his grandfather figure. Feeling himself relax, Miles wrapped his arms around the elder fox's neck and hugged him tightly._

" _T-Thank you…"_

* * *

Zeta hurriedly marched through the burning debris and rubble of the former city. Just a few moments ago he had heard Epsilon requesting backup on their shared communication link, something the egotistical robot had never done before and, of course, now it was up to him to rescue his idiotic surrogate brother because Delta didn't even bother communicating with them!

 _THAT IDIOT! WHY DOES HE ALWAYS THINK HE CAN WIN EVERY FIGHT HE TAKES?!_ The purple robot fumed silently while trudging over a burnt car. _MASTER BETTER REMOVE HIS PERSONALITY MODULATOR AFTER THIS OR I SWEAR I WILL DO IT MYSELF…_

Zeta was brought out of his brooding upon hearing a distinct sound from his sensory map. Where there should have been three dots to indicate the position of the elite team, one of them faded away with a high pitched beep. Now there were only two.

 _IDIOT…HE'S LOST TO THE HEDGEHOG…MASTER WILL BE MOST UNHAPPY AT THIS…_ Were Zeta's final thoughts before arriving at the last recorded position of his fallen brother. Using his high power focus lens, Zeta scanned the chaotic battlefield for an orange robot. What he found instead however was a burnt up red robot. _GAMMA…BUT WHERE IS EPSILON?_ Through thick smoke and dust, Zeta could faintly make out the markings of battle along the opposite end of the large crater. The warbot begrudgingly marched into the large arena with heavy footsteps. As he got closer, the marks that he had noticed previously could be seen extending outwards, away from the crater.

Zeta extended both his cannon arm and his machine gun arm, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Climbing out of the crater with just his metallic clawed feet, the cautious robot scanned the area for any signs of his teammate. Through the thick black smoke, his sensors managed to pick up on the smallest of movement behind a column of the towering flames. Zeta walked around the obstruction with quiet steps and was met with an unusual sight.

A few meters ahead of the purple warbot lay his fallen brother. What was interesting to note however was the grey twin tailed fox that stood on top of the destroyed, comatose robot holding a detached warbot head in his hand.

 _EPSILON?! DEFEATED TO THIS EXTENT?!_ Zeta mused while observing the damage and the motionless fox. _EPSILON WOULD NEVER LOSE TO A KID…HE MUST BE STRONGER THAN HE SEEMS…_ But the fox remained unmoving, as if he were meditating in a deep trance. _NO SIGNS OF THE BLUE HEDGEHOG…I SUPPOSE TAKING CARE OF THE KID RIGHT NOW WOULD TAKE PRIORITY HOWEVER…_

Zeta aimed both cannon and machine gun at the fox's head and heart simultaneously. As if he could tell what lay behind him, the fox's ears twitched slightly, the only movement coming from him other than the slow waving of his dual tails. Zeta noticed the twitch but paid no heed to it as his cannon shot out a large beam of energy that went straight for the kitsune's heart while the machine gun fired at his head.

In a move that not even Zeta's advanced sensors could follow, the grey fox slipped under the fallen yellow warbot before the bullets and cannon fire could even leave the respective barrels. What shocked Zeta was when Epsilon's ten ton body was suddenly hurled towards him, blocking all the bullets and taking the force of the cannon fire. The cannon ripped through the already dented metal with ease and generated a destructive explosion right in front of the wide eyed robot.

Zeta was forced to halt his assault and leap backwards a considerable distance as his former brother was disintegrated right in front of his eyes.

 _DEFINITELY A LOT STRONGER THAN HE LOOKS…_ He concluded quickly. His temporary rest was brought to an end when red indicators flashed across his sensors highlighting a fast-moving figure heading in his direction. Zeta hurriedly brought both arms up to shield his body as not a moment later a child sized foot imbedded itself deep within his forearm protectors and propelled the warbot across the battlefield with a deadly amount of force.

 _THIS METAL IS HEAVILY REINFORCED YET HE MANAGED TO BEND IT THIS MUCH?!_ The amazed warbot was once again given no time to pause as numerous red indicators popped up across the screen warning of imminent danger. Zeta raised his left arm just in time to parry a downwards punch coming from the grey kitsune but it did nothing to block the damage as the ground underneath them gave way and shattered like fragile glass. Dirt erupted high into the sky in all directions as huge cracks spiraled away from the source of impact.

Zeta felt like his robotic legs had turned to molten jelly as he pushed the airborne kitsune away with his right arm. It came as a mild surprise to the robot to see that his left arm had been completely obliterated.

 _WHAT IMMENSE POWER…_ Zeta thought as he realized that this was a battle he could not win. His remaining hand trembled violently as it reached for his communicator in a desperate attempt to escape.

His hand quickly angled itself back up in order to block another kicked from the impossibly fast kitsune. This, however, proved futile as the twenty ton robot felt himself being lifted off the ground upon impact and rocketed across the smoke filled sky helplessly. Before his sensors could even acknowledge the damage done, the grey kitsune was suddenly above the wide eyed robot that could do nothing as the axe kick cleaved through his midsection in a flurry of bolts and wires before the parts rained over the battlefield like hailstones.

As the top section of Zeta lay in its own cataclysmic crater, the warbot stared into the smoke filled sky and felt what his fallen brother had felt not long ago. Fear. A warbot's worst enemy. Never before had he been defeated so quickly, but then again, he had never fought a being whose power rivalled that of demons. Zeta couldn't quite believe it himself, but after the battle he had just lost, he didn't have a choice.

Zeta's green LED eyes grew large as the head of the child slowly came into his immobile view. He could only stare as what looked to be red lightning danced across the palm of the child's hand chaotically. He could only watch as the gloved hand descended itself down onto his armored neck. And he couldn't do anything as the child severed his neck in one swift move.

* * *

" _What's wrong Miles?"_

 _The twin tailed fox glanced up from the ice cream cone he held in his hands and was met with the sight of his parent figure looking worriedly at him._

" _It…It's nothing…"_

 _Theodore instantly knew that something was definitely wrong. Taking a few steps forward, he sat down next to the distressed cub and pulled him into a one arm hug._

" _Miles…you know that I won't make fun of you if there's something bothering you." He spoke gently. "Now tell me…what's the matter?"_

 _Miles looked up into the eyes of his worried guardian and felt his heart slowly sink. Seeing the normally calm man sad like this pained him to no end._

" _Why…why do they hate me so much…?"_

 _Theodore sighed as he realized that the shaking fox was worrying over what had happened earlier that day._

" _It's not your fault Miles…none of that is." He reassured the sobbing kitsune. "They pick on you because they merely want to. It may be a combination of other factors such as family life, wealth, and stress, but ultimately it all comes down to one reason."_

 _Miles looked up at the elder fox in confusion. "It's because you're younger than them. In their minds you are inferior and easier to pick on."_

" _B-But…why me? Why…why couldn't it have been someone else?!" Miles practically shouted._

 _Theodore looked down at the quaking fox and slowly shook his head._

" _That is not a good way to think Miles…" He said softly. "Wishing your pain onto others is the most terrible thing a person could do."_

 _Miles broke down crying at that and leaned his tear streaked face into the fur of the elder fox._

" _Then…what should I do?"_

 _Theodore smiled kindly, though the younger fox couldn't see it. "Don't give up. Endure the pain for now and one day show them that they were wrong, that you're not lesser than them and they're not greater than you."_

 _And though the cries continued, Miles slowly stopped shaking as the words sunk into his head._

" _And above all,_ _ **never**_ _become the bully that you wish to surpass…" Theodore finished firmly. "Because it will only bring you and the ones you affect more pain and regret…as I did." The last part muttered so quietly that it was muffled by the sobs and sniffs of the younger fox._

 _Miles began to calm down as the new philosophies ingrained themselves in his head. Looking back up to his guardian with puffy red eyes, Miles hugged him with both arms and rested his head on the elder fox`s shoulders._

" _Thank you…"_

 _Theodore smiled caringly at his adopted grandson and rose to his feet while holding him, cradling his head in his hand._

" _You're welcome…now, let's get you to sleep."_

* * *

Delta's emerald green LEDs watched through gaps in the smoke as Zeta's helpless body was thrown sky high before rocketing back down to earth with a tremendous bang. Contrary to what his two former teammates had thought, Delta was well aware that Epsilon had lost quite badly in his battle against the blue hedgehog. Thinking that the egotistical robot could learn a thing or two from a loss, he decided to observe the action from afar but could only see glimpses as the heavy smoke blocked much of his view. What surprised him was the speed at which his former brother had lost. Epsilon may be prideful but he was certainly no push over. For him to lose so quickly meant that the hedgehog was much stronger than Robotnik had told them. It would be no problem however, as the leader of the elite E-100s, he was by far stronger than Epsilon, Zeta and even Gamma. Sure Epsilon's power was a force to be reckoned with and Zeta's armor could withstand multitudes of bombs, but Delta had one thing none of the others had.

Speed.

No matter how powerful your attacks are, you'll never get anywhere if they don't hit and no matter how many hits you can take, if you can't return them then you won't do any damage. But speed had no negative counter effects. If your opponent can't keep up with you then there's no way that they can land a hit on you and if you move faster than them, then you can't possibly miss any attacks you throw at them. That was what made him stronger than the others. And after all, he was the leader for a reason.

 _SO IT SEEMS THAT EVEN ZETA HAS FALLEN TO THE HEDGEHOG…_ Delta muttered as the red blip that represented Zeta on his mini-map disappeared. _NO MATTER…I WILL END HIM ONCE AND FOR ALL AND WE WILL FINALLY SEE WHICH ONE OF US IS THE FASTEST!_

Delta continued marching through the burning city with no care whatsoever about the collapsing rubble around him. None of that mattered to him as his ambition to prove his speed against the fastest thing alive drove him forward.

 _OH HO HO…IT WILL BE SO LOVELY, CRUSHING HIS PRIDE… AND THEN HIS LEGS!_ He robotically laughed. Noticing that he was nearing the last location of Zeta, the blue warbot suddenly stopped as a distinct color was spotted in his high powered vision. Rotating his light head to the side, Delta was certainly surprised to see a blue figure lying face down in a circle of rubble. _THAT CAN'T BE…_ He muttered briefly before beginning a slow march towards the downed figure.

As Delta moved closer to the figure, anger began to boil inside his virtual personality as his presumption was strengthened. _IT IS HIM…BUT HOW? EPSILON AND ZETA WERE DEFEATED IN NO MORE THAN TEN MINUTES EACH…DID HE REALLY USE ALL HE HAD FIGHTING THOSE TWO?_ He stared motionlessly over the burnt hedgehog. The only indication that he was even alive came from the slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathed the smoky air.

 _PATHETIC WEAKLING…COULDN'T EVEN DEFEAT THOSE TWO…_ Delta inwardly sighed in frustration as his ambition died down to a sliver of its former glory. The warbot unconsciously readied a cannon blast as he looked angrily down at the weak hedgehog. _FINE THEN…I'LL JUST HAVE TO DO THIS THE OLD FASHIONED WAY!_ He extended his cannon arm towards the sleeping form and readied himself to end the pathetic hedgehog's life.

The beam of energy shot out of its cannon at a frighteningly high speed and temporarily blinded Delta due to his close proximity to it. Explosions rocked the earth silencing any possible cries that came from the hedgehog as smoke bellowed out of the explosions, further blocking his view. The screeching that came from the beam itself was enough to render any Mobian deaf.

 _HOW UNFORTUNATE…_ Delta concluded as the beam began to die down. When the smoke also cleared, a large circular trench was revealed between him and the end of the line of fire. Delta's green eyes scanned the trench noting that there were no blood stains, meaning the hedgehog was effectively vaporized.

Delta lowered his smoking weapon with mild amusement and enjoyment at the fact that the hedgehog was taken down so easily. In fact, it almost seemed too easy.

 _PATHETIC…_ He thought a final time before he began turning around to head back to the Egg Battleship. Just as he turned however, his optical sensors noticed a hint of white among the black smoke. Curiously turning back around, Delta was left shocked as the smoke parted to reveal at the end of the trench, the back of a twin tailed fox with the blue hedgehog lying in front of him, no more injured than before Delta had blasted him.

The grey furred kitsune was hunched over the unconscious hedgehog protectively. The fur on his back was significantly darker than the other areas and wisps of white smoke could be seen originating from it.

Delta analyzed the new presence with a hint of excitement. Judging by the darkened fur, the fox had taken the blast from the cannon and possibly saved the hedgehog's life. Few of his enemies had ever endured a direct hit from his cannon and lived to tell the tale, meaning that this fox was certainly durable, if not powerful.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Delta asked commandingly to the hunched over figure. A slight rise and fall of his shoulders was the only response he received as the fox seemingly struggled to stand back up. At the sight, Delta's excitement began to fade along with his patience. Frustration returned to the warbot as another promising battle was taken away due to the fox's weakness.

Delta drew his cannon arm back out and aimed it at the struggling form of the grey fox. Just as he was about to fire, the fox's head rotated around and Delta could see the angered expression on his otherwise neutral face.

By then, the cannon was fully charged and ready to fire. Delta watched in disappointment as the energy blasted out of his hold and headed straight for the fox's head. That disappointment soon turned to surprise as his arm suddenly lurched upwards changing the trajectory of the blast and shooting it sky high.

Delta quickly snapped his head downwards only to see the angered grey fox directly below him with his leg extended forwards, kicking the cannon upwards with an insane amount of strength.

Shocked at the fox's speed, Delta halted his cannon fire and brought the arm down hard, slamming it into the ground right beside the quick kitsune. The fox managed to dodge, albeit just barely and rolled across the rocky ground away from Delta.

Delta looked at the kitsune standing on one knee in a mix of excitement and intrigue. _HES FAST...HEHE…_ And with that he took off using his thrusters to propel himself towards the kneeling fox. The kitsune's head snapped up at the rapidly approaching sound but was too late as Delta's arm crashed into his midsection, unable to move away from the fast robot as Delta activated every thruster in his arsenal. With a sonic boom, the fox blazed into piles of rubble and fire across the entire city as he unwillingly hung off of Delta's outstretched arm that piloted him into the remains of buildings. His arms gripped desperately at the robot's larger weaponized arm in an attempt to escape the carnival ride of hell but to no avail.

Delta had noticed the fox's desperate means of escape and grinned inwardly. All at once, every thruster was turned to propel him in the opposite direction as he fully extended his cannon arm and took aim at the now free flying kitsune. Not a moment later, the destructive beam of energy ripped apart the scenery in front of Delta in a bright shining light.

As the beam began to disappear, Delta lowered his smoking arm and scanned the area for traces of the grey fox.

 _FAST BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH..._ He thought as the massive trench in front of him was revealed to be empty. _UNFORTUNATE…HE WAS QUITE FAST TOO._

The fire around Delta continued to burn, the crackling of flames the only sound left in the area.

Suddenly as Delta was about to head back, his sensors lit up bright red in danger. Not even a nanosecond later, another sonic boom resounded across the battlefield as Delta was met face to face with the fist of the dangerously close kitsune. Acting based solely on instinct, Delta blasted every thruster in the opposite direction, pouring every ounce of his energy reserves into the action and using his maximum speed. The earth scorched underneath the flames and dug deep trenches into the ground.

Delta stared back up, wide eyed as his eyes locked onto the grey fox. Except this time, his eyes were open. A brilliant white light shone out of the kitsune's eyes, no pupil or iris in sight. The warbot looked on in wonder and shock as the light bore into his mechanical body.

The area the kitsune stood suddenly exploded in a shower of rock as the fox launched himself at blinding speeds that not even Delta could follow. The fox threw a punch at the warbot's head but was intercepted by a cannon arm. The steel bent and snapped in two with a resounding bang that sent Delta sprawling back hundreds of meters.

 _CAN'T LET HIM HIT ME-_ Delta realized but was even more aghast to see the fox only a few feet in front of him with a clenched fist aimed at his head. The warbot rolled to the side just in time as the fist impacted the concrete ground below shattering it into tiny pieces instantly. The grey fox turned his head and locked eyes with Delta and sent a lightning fast roundhouse kick towards the stunned robot.

Delta lurched away from the kick but was knocked off balance by the absurd gust of wind that the force of the attack generated. His sensors were violently blinking red as Delta rolled to the side to evade a splitting kick from the near black fox. He used his thrusters to stand back up just as the kick from the fox split the ground in two. Dirt was sprayed everywhere and blocked the vision of the two combatants.

Using this time to formulate a plan, Delta recalled how helpless the fox was during his thruster ride around the city. _SO LITTLE FOX, LET'S SEE WHOS FASTER, YOU, OR ME!_ The blue warbot took off in a flash of dirt and appeared right in front of the kitsune. Before the fox could even realize that Delta had found him, he was suddenly launched through the air at breakneck speeds. Delta held the fox between what was left of his arms in front of him, trapping him in the hold. The fox struggled against the vice grip but it became useless as every time his back and head smashed into rubble and fire, he felt himself getting weaker.

Delta noticed that the light shining from the kitsune's eyes was slowly dimming with each crash which only pushed the warbot into going faster. Soon the two became nothing but a blur as they plowed through everything in their wake; the entire city now their battlefield.

The dust covered kitsune could do nothing as he was repeatedly thrown into debris. Delta grinned inwardly as the last of the light coming from the fox's eyes dissipated into nothing, his eyelids shutting completely.

With one final push, Delta angled his thrusters and soared into the smoky air with the grey fox in hand. In only a few seconds, they managed to break through the smoke and into the peaceful blue skies above it, the sun reflecting off of his metallic body and shining bright rays around them. The peace was short lasting however as Delta summoned all the strength left in his system and flared every thruster, plunging the two straight back down into the smoke at blinding speeds.

Delta struggled to hold the fox below him as the air pushed against them violently. Sonic booms erupted every few seconds as the forces of gravity and fire drove the two down into a rapid descent. The fox kicked weakly at the superior robot, his strength diminishing by the second. His triangular ears thrashed against the air currents as the howling of the wind became almost deafening.

The scorched earth soon came into view below them. Delta's excitement unconsciously fueled his strength as they accelerated faster. All of his sensors were completely shut off as his entire field of view was blinded by a white light.

Delta felt as if every bolt in his body ejected as the fox collided with the terrain, headfirst. In the blink of an eye, the ground ruptured into hundreds of chunks across the entire city as the very earth trembled at the display of power. A tremendous crater was formed around the two combatants and easily enveloped more than half the former city. Fires that surrounded them were instantly extinguished as a gust of wind so powerful as to lift cars and buildings into the air exploded away from the center of the crater and knocked away anything in its path.

The drained warbot released his vice grip on the unmoving fox and toppled over onto his backside.

 _HEHE…NOBODY'S EVER MANAGED TO PUSH ME THIS FAR…_ He silently congratulated the fox for his splendid performance. Rotating his unsteady head around to look at his enemy, Delta watched as the grey fox lay embedded deep in the ground, unmoving. _YOU DID GOOD…KID._ He thought in a show of appreciation that he almost never showed. _WELL…NOTHING MORE TO DO NOW THAN JUST LAY HERE AND WAIT FOR MASTER._ Testing for any strength left in his system, the warbot wasn't surprised that he couldn't even lift his arm.

The smoke that covered the sky had begun to clear up without any fire to generate more. Soon the sun was shining through and onto the fractured battlefield, revealing the true extent of the damage that had been done. The city no longer held any reason to believe that it was once a city, every building and street had been completely obliterated during the three fights as well as the trees and grass being burned up in the hellfire. Cracks decorated the dirt grounds and shattered sidewalks for as far as the island was afloat. The other side of the city that had not been impacted by the devastating final move was however, still ablaze with infrequent fires and smoke.

Delta stared up into the blue sky and for once felt a sense of peace. His ambition to find a worthy adversary had been fulfilled for now and all he wished for was a rest from the grueling battle. Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he only barely managed to defeat the kitsune and had the kid managed to survive the crash, Delta had no doubts that the powerful fox would beat him.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of shifting stone. Rotating his head back around, Delta's eyes widened as the grey fox child slowly pushed himself off the ground. A thin trail of blood stained the corners of his otherwise white muzzle as he heaved himself out of the fox shaped hole.

Delta could do nothing as the child wobbly stood up on shaky feet. The grey fox slowly began to limp towards him, faltering with every step.

Though his sensors were offline, Delta manually scanned the child's body in an attempt to find a weakness. His eyes lit up and locked onto a darker section of the fox's right knee that seemed to pain the child with every step he took.

Delta anxiously waited for the fox to approach him. Summoning the last of his energy, the beaten warbot swung his arm outwards and smashed it straight into the fox's kneecap. A loud _crack_ resonated across the crater followed by a thud as the grey fox collapsed onto his stomach.

The warbot lay there and watched as the fox' form was completely still.

 _YOU TRULY ARE A WORTHY ADVERSARY…_ He thought as the fox's hand began to move. _BUT IT SEEMS I WAS NOT WORTHY ENOUGH FOR YOU…_ was his last thought before the hand sliced through his neck, his green eyes powering off forever.

The grey fox kneeled on the uneven ground; both arms supporting him as he weakly struggled to stand. His face remained neutral and expressionless as he slowly began limping away from the center of the crater. The sun shone on his dust covered grey fur. His twin tails pointed downwards without any strength left to hold them up.

* * *

Though his eyes remained shut, the fox limped towards a blue figure lying in his own hole in the ground. As if he could see where the figure was, the kitsune gently kneeled in front of the burnt blue hedgehog, slung the blue arms over his shoulder, and placed the larger person over his back in a piggyback. Though the hedgehog's body dwarfed the size of the child that was carrying it, the kitsune limped at only a slightly slower speed when compared to without the extra weight.

Luckily for the two, the fire and rubble that would otherwise hinder their path had been blown far away to the outskirts of the city. The only obstructions now were the large chunks of earth that had been ejected when the fox crashed into the ground.

Within minutes a beach could be seen on the horizon. The remaining forests around them were still ablaze due to their distance away from the battlefield. The fox slowed slightly however as he continued to trek through the boiling temperatures and smoke filled air.

At long last, the terrain transformed from smoky grains of dirt to pale grains of sand. The sound of the ocean rising and falling mimicked the breathing of the weakened fox. A red biplane contrasted against the plain colors of the beach in the distance.

By now the fox's limping had slowed to a crawl speed. His breath was haggard and forced, as if it was painful just to breathe in. His grey fur began to slowly morph back into its original orange-yellow pelt.

Taking one last step, the fox released the blue hedgehog behind him as his legs gave out from underneath him and he collapsed; face down into the sand with a resounding thud.

* * *

Robotnik observed as his Egg Workers silently cleaned the area surrounding the hidden entrance. It had been almost half an hour since he had sent the Elite team to capture the hedgehog and it had been almost half an hour since his last contact with them.

 _That blasted hedgehog couldn't have won against them, could he?_ Robotnik wondered silently. _No…With Epsilon's strength, Zeta's defence, and Delta's speed, they should have no problems in defeating Sonic…but then what is taking them so long?_

Periodically during the half hour they had been gone, violent tremors had shaken the ground leading the fat doctor to believe that Sonic was either incredibly durable or he was plowing the E-100s into the ground. Neither option appealed to the doctor but he could do nothing but wait patiently. The E-100s were the only robots in his arsenal that could withstand the intense heat and smoke and Robotnik couldn't even stand near the flames without breaking out into a sweat.

The smoke filled sky obstructed his vision from watching the battle. Despite multiple attempts by the doctor to clear away the smoke, the fires that expelled it just continued to bellow the foul substance. As such he was forced to succumb to being a sitting duck and predict what was happening just by the tremors that shook the earth, which was not a very easy thing to do.

"Try to contact them again." He commanded the silent Egg Worker that stood beside him. A few beeps and buzzes later, the worker looked back to him and shook his head.

"NEGATIVE SIR, THE COMMUNICATION LINK IS STILL JAMMED. SOMETHING MUST STILL BE INTERFERING WITH THE SIGNAL."

Robotnik sighed in anger as the same message was repeated.

"Well unjam that signal before I-"

But before he could finish his sentence, a tremor shot through the ground once again. But this time it was incomparable to any previous tremor. Robotnik's eyes widened as the smoke that had previously been flowing into the sky bulged forwards and covered him in its foul air. Not a moment later, the ground itself violently cracked and jutted out of the earth and into massive segments. Dust encompassed the entire area as the quake continued to shoot dirt and split apart the very earth they stood on.

Robotnik felt his grasp on the ground loosen as he was sent sprawling in the air. His limbs flailed desperately into the storm of dust and fire as he felt himself repeatedly crashing into dirt and stone.

Finally the wind calmed enough to drop him as he fell onto the ground and rolled several times over until he hit water. Robotnik gasped while shooting his head out of the liquid and wiping his eyes of dirt and grime. He quickly swam back onto shore and his eyes widened at the sight that beheld him. Dust and dirt floated everywhere, hindering his view from seeing more than a few meters. What he could make out however, was that the previously burning trees and houses had been extinguished entirely of the flames and were now either laying on the choppy earth or bent at impossible angles.

Robotnik stood up slowly on shaky legs. He could feel his senses coming back to him now as he held a hand to his head. To his surprise, blood was seeping down his fingers rapidly. The mad doctor grit his teeth as he suddenly got a good feeling that Delta had gone all out, and that meant that the hedgehog managed to take down his entire team of E-100s.

His hands trembled at his side as Robotnik pulled a device out of his pocket. Holding it up to his mouth, the doctor spoke in a hoarse voice, unknown to even him. "SNIVELY…MAKE SURE THAT HEDGEHOG DOESN'T GET AWAY."

With his message sent, Robotnik pulled out a tracker with a red dot on its interface and began walking back to the Egg Battleship

* * *

 _His eyelids fluttered open but were shut again upon seeing a bright light turned on. Muffled voices could be heard behind him as he once again tried in vain to open his eyes._

 _The voices soon became clearer as his senses returned to him._

" _His heart's beating too fast!"_

" _Turn the volts up!"_

" _Breathe Theodore, breathe!"_

 _Miles' head instantly shot up at the sound of foreign voices._

" _W-W-who are y-you? W-Why are y-you in this h-house?" He asked as he quickly sat up on the couch._

 _The black and white dressed figures seemed to ignore him, as if he wasn't even there._

" _We need to get him to the hospital!"_

" _I'm going to get the stretcher, keep his heart rate steady until we get there!"_

 _One of the figures dashed out into the cold rainy night and returned moments later with a white stretcher. As the tall figures loaded someone onto the stretcher, Miles' heart skipped a beat._

 _It was Theodore._

" _W-W-What's happening? W-What's going o-on?" He managed to stutter out._

 _One of the figures turned to him. "Stay home kid, go back to bed."_

 _The figures quickly exited the house and moments later a loud siren was heard over the pounding rain and retreating into the distance._

 _Miles stood, frozen to the spot, his eyes wide awake and frantic. As soon as the sirens blasted through the rainstorm, Miles leapt out of the still open door._

" _T-Theodore! Wait!"_

 _His short legs made a mad dash for the ambulance but he was too slow._

" _W-wait! Don't go!"_

 _Unconsciously his tails began to whirl around in a circle, propelling him forward._

" _THEODORE! DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

 _A loud bang erupted out of the sky and shocked the poor kitsune who tumbled over into the mud staring wide eyed at the back of the silent vehicle._

" _GRANDPA! COME BACK!"_

* * *

Emerald green eyes blinked open to be met with the magnificent blue of the sky. The eyes blinked repeatedly in order to refocus and adjust to the bright sunshine that shone through the white clouds.

Sonic stared at the open sky as his ears picked up the sound of crashing waves. Taking a moment to recollect his thoughts, the hedgehog quickly shot up with wide eyes. _How did I get here?_ He asked as he looked out at the calm sea. _The last thing I remember is falling and being too weak to move…but that was in…_ His head spun around to face the direction the smell of smoke originated from. To his surprise, the fire that consumed the city was only at a fraction of its former ability. _How did that happen? There's no way that fire could have been stopped…_ He questioned before looking back into the sky. _It's only noon, which means I haven't been out all that long…_

He turned his head downwards to view the extent of his injuries but stopped when his eyes caught sight of a familiar yellow fur. Instantly his eyes were locked onto the figure that lay only a few feet in front of him.

"Tails!" Sonic heaved himself off the ground and dashed to the blackened fox's side. "Tails are you okay?!" Gently he flipped the cub over onto his back and was surprised to see almost completely black burnt fur in multiple areas on the kitsune's fur and a thin trail of blood on his muzzle and right kneecap. He quickly held two fingers to his unconscious friend's neck and was relieved to feel a faint heartbeat.

Despite having his own injuries, Sonic lifted the fox into his arms and noticed that the Tornado was directly in front of them. His legs begged for rest but Sonic ignored the pain and limped over to his plane.

 _I couldn't save the city from Robotnik…_ He suddenly realized as an uneasy feeling began to eat away at his nerves. _But I'll be damned if I can't save even one kid._ He thought but as his gaze fell into the cockpit it was obvious to see that there wasn't going to be enough room for the both of them.

 _No! I won't abandon the kid!_ Quickly dismissing the unwanted thoughts, Sonic gently laid the fox cub in the pilot's seat and went about emptying the storage container behind the seat, throwing all the tools out onto the sand. As soon as that was finished, he retrieved a few large leaves that had been out of reach of the fire and used them to cushion the inside of the compartment. He looked regretfully at the comatose kitsune as he cautiously placed him into the compartment and left the lid open so that air could move freely in and out.

Climbing into the pilot's seat, Sonic looked back at the remains of the city in defeat. He had failed the citizens of the city, and he had failed himself.

" _When will you realize Sonic that you_ _ **can't**_ _save everyone no matter how hard you try?"_

Robotnik's words stung him repeatedly. Very few times had the hedgehog actually failed to save someone he had been protecting. The stress and regret of not being able to save them had already been negatively affecting him and then Robotnik had to swoop in and make it even worse.

The hedgehog shook his head of the belittling thoughts and returned his view to the controls of the Tornado. He couldn't let the fox die under his watch. The plane's engine started to roar as the propeller rotated in front of it. Had the time been any different, Sonic would have been ecstatically joyful that the Tornado looked good as new, but right now was not that time.

The plane lurched forwards on the sand and taxied on the small grains before slowly lifting into the air. He couldn't save the city, but he still had a chance at saving Tails.

* * *

Robotnik glared furiously as he made his way back into the command room of the Egg Battleship. Snively sat in the piloting chair looking rather contently until his fat uncle barged into the room. The doctor stormed up to the short man and picked him up by his collar before hurling him across the room and into a steel wall.

"You idiot! Where is the hedgehog!?" He questioned menacingly.

Snively stood back up and looked away from his seething uncle's eyes. "I sent all the robots to retrieve him after you radioed in but they haven't returned yet."

Smoke began to rise out of Robotnik's head as his rage increased tenfold. "Argh…I don't care what you did, find that hedgehog before-" His eyes widened as he spotted a red biplane on the other end of the island taking off. "It's them! Get them! Before they escape!"

Snively gladly took the chance to escape his fuming uncle and run into a hanger full of fighter planes. The planes activated at Snively's presence and after receiving orders, blasted out of the hanger at supersonic speed.

Robotnik watched as the robotic fighter planes shot towards the Tornado like a heat seeking bullet. "HO OH OH…Soon, you will die my careless blue friend…And it will be by my hand..."


	6. Truths

Brother of Mine

Thank you to all those who read/review/favorite/follow this story! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 6: Truths

" _W-where is he? W-Where is my g-grandpa?"_

 _His voice quivered as he stood on shaky knees. His eyes were puffy and red from hours of crying as they looked desperately up at the hospital receptionist._

" _Uhm…I'm so sorry but…you're not allowed to be here."_

" _Please! You have to let me see him!"_

 _She shook her head anxiously and mouthed for help._

 _Out of the corners of his eyes, a pair of security guards began to advance on him._

" _Please! I'll do anything!"_

 _One of the guards clears his throat, gaining his attention._

" _You're not welcome here freak."_

 _Miles' eyes shot wide open._

" _NO! I need to see him!"_

 _His legs took off, running as tears began to well up._

" _Get him!"_

" _Get off me damn fox!"_

" _Somebody get him!"_

" _He's heading for the elevator!"_

" _CATCH HIM…!"_

* * *

A low sigh escaped his lips as the sound of the Tornado silenced all other noises. His body ached from the fight against Gamma and the hell fire that ensued but he did his best to ignore it for now. His eyes struggled to stay focused on the horizon, all he wanted to do right now was check on the sleeping kitsune that lay dormant behind him.

 _He saved me,_ Sonic thought solemnly as his grip on the controls tightened momentarily. _I was the one who was supposed to save him but he ended up saving me…_

Sonic turned his head around to take a quick glance at the fox to make sure he was okay but was stopped when his eyes noticed a black dot following them on the horizon. As if the dot acknowledged his gaze, it suddenly multiplied and split apart to become five separate dots.

 _No…_ Sonic thought as a sense of dread welled up inside him. However as the dots began approaching faster, his worst fears were confirmed. _Fighter Jets…and they're coming in fast!_

As if on cue a missile soared past the red biplane and submerged into the ocean.

 _That was too close!_ Sonic frantically looked around the interior of the plane for something that could defend them against the rapidly approaching jets. _Argh, it's no good! None of these buttons are even labeled!_ He grit his teeth in frustration and looked behind to see how close the enemies were.

One of the fighter jets caught up with the inferior biplane and flew alongside it. Before Sonic could turn away from the close encounter, another jet descended on the other side, entrapping the Tornado between the two jets and making it nigh impossible to escape.

 _Not good!_ He growled in annoyance. His eyes darted between the two jets as machine guns lowered out from under the hulls. He momentarily caught sight of a shade of green rising up over the horizon before the guns blazed to life releasing a rapid stream of bullets that penetrated the aircraft.

Sonic snapped out of his shock of the roaring guns and quickly pushed the Tornado down and out from between the two jets. The machine guns shot a few bullets into each other before retracting and rotating around to face the red biplane underneath.

The Tornado banked to the left, barely skimming over the waves of ocean but managed to evade the sharp bullets. A sudden roar of an engine gained the attention of the blue hedgehog as another fighter jet approached from behind. The sound was suddenly amplified as not a moment later; the biplane was surrounded on both sides once again by two other jets.

 _Not good!_ Sonic tightened his grip on the wheel and willed the plane to move faster. The previous two jets were still flying above him, preventing him from flying back up to escape the trap the robots had drafted. The planes continued flying in formation and made no attempt to fire at him, confusing the tense hedgehog. His question was soon answered as a loud _whooshing_ sound broke through the roaring of engines.

Sonic spun his head around in the direction of the noise only to be met by the sight of a white missile rapidly approaching him. His head whipped forward as his eyes danced around the cockpit trying to spot any sort of method of escape from the imminent explosion. Stress consumed him as his fingers rapidly began to activate every button in the cockpit, no longer caring what they did as long as it got them out.

The glass shield receded back into the interiors of the aircraft allowing the wind blow harshly into his face. Over the raging winds Sonic could hear the gears of the landing mechanism as the wheels pulled back into the plane, slightly accelerating their speed. Following that sound, a blast of air could be heard originating from the back of the Tornado. Sonic didn't even have a chance to turn around before the entire plane boosted forwards, shooting past the enemy jets within milliseconds.

"Alright!" He exclaimed with a grin on his face as he turned around to look at the forms of the shrinking jets, the fear from before being replaced with relief. The missile that had been fired at them impacted the waters and sank further out of sight. The fighter planes began to accelerate as they realized how much distance the hedgehog had suddenly gained on them.

Ahead of him, Sonic could make out the outlines of a green forest covered in white snow. _Hehe, time for a little payback!_ He grinned mischievously as the Tornado flew in between the close quarter trees.

Not a moment later an explosion resounded across the forest as one of the jets crashed into a tree when it had attempted to follow him. The other jets lifted higher and flew above the forest, soon catching up to the young hedgehog.

The Tornado maneuvered around the dense forest in ways the larger jets could only dream of achieving. Realizing that they were getting nowhere, the jets lowered their weapons and began to shoot at the twisting and turning biplane but only managed to hit snow and trees as the Tornado hid under the cover of nature.

The four fighter planes lowered closer to the ground in order to get a better shot at the target causing Sonic to let loose a chuckle.

"Bad move Robotnik!" He grinned and banked the Tornado to the right, avoiding a larger tree. Moments later another explosion ripped through the air as a jet impacted against the grand tree.

Sonic lifted the plane upwards and broke through the treeline, attracting the attention of the three remaining jets. As soon as they noticed his presence, bullets and the occasional missiles could be heard following the plane.

A large cliff came into view his view and he quickly used the topology to his advantage, flying straight up alongside the rocky outcrop. The jets followed in pursuit only for one to smash into the great stone face, lighting up the area below it in a shower of ember and smoke.

 _One down, two to go!_ The hedgehog thought competitively. Soon the top of the cliff was in sight and along with it came the top of a tree. The Tornado skimmed the bark of the large oak tree and continued into the free flowing air. The same could not be said for another as the large oak was suddenly ripped out of its roots by the force of a fighter jet plowing into it.

 _Last one!_ He grinned as he turned around to look at the last aircraft. It came as little surprise to the hedgehog to see that the last jet was also the one that carried missiles with it.

The Tornado propelled itself closer to the ground and returned under the cover of the forest so as not to get blown into smithereens by a missile. The jet flew overhead and made no move to release the missile in its hold as it futilely attempted to lock onto the red flashes under the snow covered trees.

Sonic flew easily through the forest before a sudden beeping caught his attention. Turning his head to the side, his emerald green eyes widened in shock as the last jet descended into the forest, bouncing off the barks and branches and leaving dents in both nature and machine. The beeping reverberated as his eyes took notice of the smoke leaving the end of the white missile.

 _Too close!_ He thought as he turned back around and piloted the plane to the best of his ability to escape the looming warhead. His breath became caught in his throat as the sound of the missile being released filled the air. He gripped the wheel and pulled as hard as he could causing the Tornado to lift upwards, ripping through tree branch after tree branch until it flew into open air.

His eyes widened again as the sound seemed to follow them. Turning his head around quickly, the sight of a missile speeding after them was all he saw.

Sonic didn't have to think twice as he tore off his seat belt and climbed onto the pilot's seat. His right hand gripped the handle of the compartment behind the seat and slid it away instantly as his other hand grabbed hold of the resting kitsune that lay inside.

Without a second to lose, Sonic clung tightly onto Tails and leapt out of the airborne plane. The missile impacted against the Tornado not a second later, releasing a tremendous explosion launching them away.

* * *

"Agggghhh…" Robotnik grit his teeth in fury and groaned loudly, his fist slammed into the keyboard causing quite a few keys to pop out of place. Several Egg Workers behind the seething fat man noticed his change in demeanor and quickly high tailed it out of there. "Get back here you miserable pile of bolts!" He grabbed the last of the workers and angrily imbedded his fist into the stunned robot, destroying its head and ripping out tons of electric wires.

"SNIVELY, GET IN HERE!" He yelled at the top of his lungs while throwing the smashed worker off to the side. No sooner had he done so than a short balding man made his appearance at the large door.

"Yes sir?" Snively asked nervously as he caught sight of the demolished Egg Worker.

"You!" Robotnik glared at his nephew and pointed at him accusingly with a fat finger. "I TOLD you to capture that hedgehog! Yet none of the Egg Jets you sent after him are still online!"

Snively looked away from his uncle's steel glare and found interest in staring at the walls. "Yes…uh, well, the jets were not…fully up to date to say…"

"WHAT?!" Robotnik bellowed so forcefully that the few hairs on Snively's head were blown backwards. "YOU DARE SEND OUTDATED ROBOTS AFTER HIM KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THIS WAS THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR?!"

"Sir, the newer models are not yet completed, I had no choice but to send in the old ones."

"Aghh…" Robotnik groaned again and pulled at his long moustache in frustration.

"Sir if I may interrupt…" Snively began before receiving a glare sent by his uncle. He doubted if he should continue but did so anyway, "The bodies of The Elite Team have been salvaged from the city."

Robotnik looked up as his face seemed to distort to become even angrier. " _Former_ Elite Team! They couldn't even defeat a hedgehog! What use do I have with them now!?"

"But sir, they are the most powerful warbots in the Empire!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Robotnik shouted, interrupting the shorter man, "SEND THEM TO THE SCRAP HEAP!"

Snively looked over his shoulder back at his uncle for a final time, "…Yes sir." He left before the fat man's rage could escalate further.

Robotnik returned to his computer desk and began furiously typing while glaring at the monitor. "Gahh…I'll just have to make a better robot!" A smile cracked through his red face as an idea lit up in his head. "…and this time, I know just what to make!"

* * *

Tails gingerly lifted a hand to nurse his aching head as his eyes slowly opened revealing tired cerulean blue irises.

 _Wh…Where am I?_ He thought to himself. He raised his hand but was surprised to see nothing there. He could still feel its presence as it waved in front of his face. Blinking several times had no effect however as he came to a realisation. A pitch black void surrounded him. Not even a tiny speck of light could be seen for hundreds of miles. Everything was empty.

"H-Hello?" His voice echoed through the darkness, scaring him into the cover of his tails as the only sound that could be heard was that of his voice resounding off the unseen walls. _I don't remember coming…here…have I been…kidnapped?_ His eyes widened at the highly possible scenario. _But…by who? Sonic-_ His heart felt like it had stopped at the very word. _Sonic…I killed him…_ Though he couldn't see them, tears began to well up in his eyes as the memory came back in full force.

 _I killed…Sonic…_

He buried his head into his tails and began to weep quietly, the sobs echoing into the distance.

 _He was one of the few people who were truly nice to me…Why!? He didn't deserve to die!_ His eyes shut tightly as more bad memories resurfaced. _None of them did!...Theodore…Thomas…Ada…Maria…Sonic…_ His fists clenched tightly, regret eating away at him like a virus. _It's all my fault that they're gone…it should have been me…not them…_

A tiny light manifested in the distance and grew larger as it drew closer to the trembling kitsune. Out of the light, the outline of a body began to form. A white gloved hand reached down and set itself on Tails' shoulder, surprising the young fox whose head quickly rose to meet a pair of forest green eyes.

"It's not your fault, Miles…"

Tails felt his whole body soften as the person spoke to him. The message fell on deaf ears as not a moment later, the fox found his head buried in soft brown fur with his arms wrapped tightly around the figure.

"G-Grandpa…" He sobbed out in a quietly. The old fox's hand ruffled his hair, bringing back long forgotten memories that threatened to break the dam and let his tears freely flow out.

"How much you have grown my grandson." Theodore said reminiscently while caressing the back of the golden fox's head. The words and actions only served to fuel the fox's tears however as he hugged Theodore tighter as if letting go would mean he would disappear forever.

"I…I-I'm sorry!" He cried out sadly. "I'm sorry I made you take care of me! I'm sorry I didn't leave sooner! I'm sorry you had to put up with me! I'm sorry for letting you die when it should have been me! Grandpa, I'm so sorry!"

Theodore silently allowed the fox to spout apology after apology, only kneeling down when he stopped to take a breath from his outburst. "Miles…you have nothing to apologize for…It was simply my time to move on."

Tails shook his head in disagreement as he hugged his grandfather figure around his neck. "It was all my fault! You never should have died! It's all because I'm **bad luck** that this had to happen to you!"

Theodore wrapped his arms around the crying fox in consolation. "Shhh, everything will be just fine Miles…" He said, comforting the fox as he did when the boy was still a toddler. The sobs lessened as the familiar actions of his grandfather managed to calm his rampant emotions. When all that remained were his quiet sniffles, a hand lifted his head up under his chin as green eyes stared into his sky blue eyes.

"I wish I could have had more time with you Miles, but it's not your fault." He gently reassured the cub and wiped away the remaining tears on his white muzzle. "Everything happens for a reason, even if we may not know it."

Tails looked down again, his grandfather's wise words reminding him of times where they still lived together and how it was all cut short.

"Now, now, don't look so sad." Theodore softly nudged the young kitsune and looked at him with a kind smile. "After all, just like I told you on the day we met, you're not alone anymore."

The golden fox only looked up at his grandfather perplexedly at that statement. "But how? The island is gone now and it's all my fault…" He whispered, more to himself than to his elder.

Theodore looked down at the little fox reassuringly and placed a hand on his head. "The island may be gone, but that was never meant to be your home in the first place, was it?" He let out a small chuckle.

His blue eyes looked at the older man strangely before they widened, "Grandpa! Don't go!" He begged as the body of the elder fox began to dissipate into the darkness. "Please! I need you!"

Theodore smiled one last time towards the scared kitsune, as if promising that everything would be okay. "You don't need me, my beloved grandson…" He waved a final time before his body was consumed by darkness.

"…After all, you already have everything I could ever give you, and more…"

As the last word rang out into the gloomy darkness, all sound seemed to fade away with the light leaving a young, scared kitsune to collapse onto his knees.

 _But I don't…I have nothing…_ _Grandpa…what do you mean?_

* * *

Sky blue eyes slowly opened for what seemed like the second time that day. Sunlight streamed through a nearby glass window, suitable to light up the otherwise dark room but not bright enough to hurt his tired eyes. He attempted to raise a hand to sooth his throbbing head but found that no amount of strength could so much as shake the limb.

Tails unwillingly sighed, ignoring the fact and reclined his head back onto the soft pillow. _Wait…a pillow?_ He suddenly realized as his eyes shot back open. _A bed…and a blanket…_ He thought as his eyes scanned the room from his limited position. _Where am i?_

The small room was exceptionally clean with very few objects lying around to begin with. The walls were a stark white along with the ceiling and floors. Most of the bed sheets were also white but a few were colored light blue. A plant sat on a small table on the other side of the room, adjacent to the semi-large window which brought in most of the light that lit up the room. A door was opposite the large window and was, unsurprisingly, also white with a golden doorknob.

Tails took in the extremely unfamiliar scenery as his mind began to wander. Nowhere in his memory banks did he ever remember being in a room such as this one.

 _How did I get here?_

His short thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of muffled speech as voices made themselves known on the other side of the door.

Tails' ears shot up as his immediate thought filled him with dread, _Kidnappers!_ He realized and suddenly, everything became clear. _Th-that's why I can't move! They must've drugged me!_ His eyes looked frantically around the room and quickly landed on the closed window. _I h_ _ave to get out!_ Adrenaline coursed through his tiny frame, giving him enough strength to move as he kicked his legs over the side of the bed and hurriedly lifted himself up and over the edge with his arms.

Unfortunately for him, his legs were too short to touch the ground from the height of the bed causing him to fall, landing harshly on his rear end.

"Owww…" Tails began to mutter but clapped a hand over his mouth for fear of being heard. The voices outside the door resumed and Tails let out a sigh of relief. Quickly pulling himself up alongside the frame of the bed, the golden fox suddenly let out another groan that was abruptly silenced by his two hands but ended up causing him to lose his balance and topple over.

His gaze drifted down to his right knee where the searing pain originated and was met with the sight of blood soaked bandages covering the short limb. Tails gasped and pulled his eyes away from the painful sight, once again listening for the sounds of chatter outside the door. After what felt like a millennia, the sound of chit-chat broke through the dull silence, relieving the anxious fox.

Remembering now that his right leg was still injured from the recent bullying incident, Tails quietly picked himself off the floor, gritting his teeth every time the sharp pain became unbearable.

He braced himself as he let go of the supporting bed frame. He hobbled silently over the smooth floor with nothing to hold onto to keep his balance until his hands reached out and gripped the edge of the windowsill, steadying him as he pulled himself directly in front of the large window.

His diminutive fingers graced the bottom edges of the sliding frame and lifted with all his might. Tails felt the muscles in his arms burning as the window scooted up by a barely noticeable amount.

The mute voices suddenly became very clear as he heard the door swing open behind him. A sudden surge of strength accompanied by a gasp and shout from his two captors gave Tails all the energy he needed to fling the window up wide enough for his small frame to jump up and leap through it.

Just as his feet made it past the window a pair of gloved hands latched onto them, abruptly halting his fall in mid-air and slamming him onto the outer walls of the building.

"No! Let go of me!" He yelled, kicking his legs in an endeavor to escape from the clutches of the kidnappers. His twin tails attempted to spin rapidly but weren't able to complete even a single rotation as bandages ensnared them in silky webs.

"Stop struggling kid!" A voice responded from behind, though the intended message was lost in the scuffle as Tails processed it as 'Don't try to escape from us!' His legs kicked even more wildly and managed to knock away one of the hands restraining him. "Damnit kid, look how high up you are! If we let go you'll fall to death!"

His flailing suddenly stopped as the word resonated deep within him. Death.

For the first time, Tails let out a gasp, his eyes bulging out as he realized just how high above the ground he was. At least ten stories stretched between him and the concrete sidewalks far below, the people walking on it the size of ants. Busy intersections filled with cars and buses roared loudly in the winter air.

Tails felt his face drain of blood, becoming a ghostly white color as his movements froze entirely. He felt his body go limp as the gravity of his predicament dawned on him, suddenly wishing for nothing more than to be pulled back into the room.

His wishes were soon answered as he felt himself being hoisted back up by two sets of hands which then yanked him into the white room. A loud _bang_ resonated in the small area as the window was forcefully shut.

The sound of the window closing snapped Tails out of his trance, realizing that he was now sitting on the floor. His eyes blinked twice and settled on the two panting figures that stood in front of him.

"Crazy kid...you could have died!" One of the figures screamed at him while breathing rapidly.

Tails stayed silent, the man's words floating straight over his head, his eyes focused solely on the other figure that leaned, panting against the wall.

"Tails…What the hell were ya doing?!"

The words came at him with the force of a bullet train, dragging him back to reality as his entire body jolted from the yell. His sky blue eyes stared up into emerald green. His breathing slowed to the point where it became imperceptible and the only audible sounds were that of his dull heartbeat.

The figure realized the extent his words had on the unmoving fox and quickly crouched down, placing both hands on the kitsune's shoulders gently. "Tails, you okay?"

Tails' lips quivered as all attempts at communication failed. His eyes stared up into the eyes of the one he thought he would never be able to see again.

"Ss…s-s…s-so"

The blue hedgehog smiled at the shocked fox and stroked the top of his small head. "Yeah lil' buddy, I'm here."

Tails reacted without another thought, springing up as every pain and ache in his body disappeared along with the rest of his fears. He collided with the blue hedgehog and stretched his arms as far as possible to encircle his savior in a fervent hug. His tears rolled down his white muzzle uncontrollably, staining the cream colored chest that lay against it.

"S-SONIC!" Tails yelled, his emphatic sobs silencing all other noises.

Sonic grimaced but quickly replaced the expression with a relieved smile. His arm wrapped comfortingly around the sobbing fox that lay on top of him and returned the hug.

"It's alright Tails, I'm right here…" He said soothingly and pat the golden kitsune's head.

"I-I-I th-thought you w-were dead!" Tails screamed as he nuzzled his head deeper.

Sonic remained quiet, his emerald green eyes stared down at the sobbing kitsune. His lips gently shushed the quivering fox while his hand stroked the small head reassuringly.

 _This is all my fault…_ He thought solemnly. _If only I had paid more attention to Robotnik's robot, none of this would have happened…_ His face contorted to a frown as he recalled the memory. All he could do now was try and comfort the child whom he had formerly abandoned.

"I ain't goin anywhere Tails, you can count on that." He said, wholly meaning it this time. It hurt him deeply to have to abandon the fox and he didn't want either of them to have to experience that pain again.

Tails looked up at him with hopeful eyes. The same look he had when Sonic had told him that he didn't have to leave prior to Robotnik's invasion. The same look that Sonic recalled was shattered in a near instant when the blue blur had abandoned the fox only moments later. It hurt him to look into the poor, innocent eyes that seemed so fragile. After all, it was his doing that ripped the fox's hopes away in the first place. Now it seemed as if an invisible force would crush the sliver of hope left in the fox if he so much as moved away.

"Tails…" He said firmly, knowing full well that he was about to do something that would change their lives forever. "I ain't **ever** abandoning you **ever** again."

* * *

Sonic glanced between the sleeping form of his friend and the face of the doctor in charge of them. It had been a few hours after the duo reconciled. Although he protested immensely, Tails was laid back in his bed to rest his injuries. The kitsune had initially refused to do so, stating that he was perfectly fine, but Sonic's persistence won out in the end as the fox soon became too tired to argue. It was only after Sonic had pinky promised the cub that he would still be there with him when he woke up that finally got the injured kitsune to go to sleep.

"Ahem…" The doctor cleared his throat to get the full attention of the blue hedgehog. "You're friend here seems to be in a stable enough condition to be released. You can both leave in the morning if you wish." He said as he stood beside the bed. "After I change his bandages, he should be fine to go."

Sonic nodded absentmindedly as he watched the doctor remove the blood soaked bandages from Tails' knee. The kitsune's whole body was covered in white bandages that made him look somewhat like that of a mummy. Even Sonic's injuries had fared better than the fox's, if the substantially less number of bandages had anything to say about it.

His eyes wandered around the room before landing on the sunset outside the closed off window. He sighed as the peaceful view finally allowed him to relax for once since the battle with Robotnik.

After the Tornado was blown out of the sky, the remaining robotic jet had crashed into the debris in midair. Tails was still unconscious and because of that, Sonic had shielded the kitsune during the fall by taking most of the impact by himself. Of course, it hurt like hell, but he knew he had to do it. Tails sustained even more injuries from his time being jostled around in the cramped compartment, if the numerous red bumps were any indication, and urgently needed medical attention. With the threat of the robotic jets gone, Sonic began searching for civilization.

Though he was still exhausted, Sonic trudged quickly through the forest they landed in,carrying Tails on his back. Thankfully, the bright lights of a city shone through the darkness that had begun to encompass the two and Sonic found himself moving faster towards it. Even greater relief filled the hedgehog when he found that the city was none other than Station Square.

The hospital had been easy to spot due to its uniquely styled façade. As soon as he walked through the doors, all heads turned towards him in recognition as doctors and nurses came to his aid. Tails had been taken out of his hands and into another room in the commotion as Sonic fell unconscious due to his own exhaustion.

When he came to, he found himself in a bed, covered in bandages. The doctor who had been assigned to him told him that he had been out for an entire day, surprising him with the fact and upsetting him when he learned that he would need to stay another day. Despite the hedgehog's many protests, the doctor remained firm that he had to stay in bed until he was fully rested. And so he had endured, sleeping through most of the day and night to regenerate his strength.

The first thing he did when he got out of the humdrum bed was ask if he could see Tails. The doctors immediately denied his request, stating that the kitsune wasn't stable enough to permit visits. Sonic unhappily accepted the fact and took a walk around the city, but the worries for his friend clouded his every thought. Every time he returned to ask about the condition of the fox, the doctors and nurses shook their heads in the negative, saying that his health was becoming worse.

Another day passed before the doctors finally gave in and allowed him to visit the twin tailed fox. Sonic ran quickly into the room and was met with the sight of his young friend, heavily bandaged and hooked up to multiple machines that beeped steadily with the rhythm of his heartbeat. His condition had become much worse, that was for sure.

Over the next two days, Sonic stayed with the kitsune as much as possible, with the only times he left being his periodic walks around the city, to find a place to eat, or to sleep in his own bed in the Mystic Ruins. With so much time to kill and nothing to entertain himself with, his thoughts wandered back to the fight with Robotnik.

The lives he had abandoned on the island plagued him with their screams. They were all dead, and it was all thanks to him. He blamed himself for every single life lost on that day, and blamed himself further for not even being able save the life of the fox that now seemed to be slipping out his grasp.

The thoughts did lessen after the first day however. Once Sonic returned to the hospital after a night's rest in the Mystic Ruins, he was surprised to learn that the four year old's condition hadn't worsened, and had actually been quite the opposite.

And so he had stayed with the kid, or, at least as much as his energetic personality would allow. The fact that he had managed to save just one life eased his thoughts, even if it was only just a little bit.

Then on the second day, after a brief conversation with the doctor regarding whether Tails would be able to leave soon, Sonic was shocked to find the mentioned fox leaping out the window. Disregarding his aching legs, Sonic had bolted across the room and managed to cling onto the fox's ankles just as Tails made it past the window. And, with some assistance from the doctor, they managed to reign in the cub. After the situation was more or less over, Sonic felt anger well up inside him, questioning why Tails would go so far as to jump to his death after narrowly escaping from it just days prior. And though he was still unsure what could have caused Tails to hurl himself out of a twelve storey building, he decided not to ask for the time being.

 _It's been so long since I've had time to just relax._ He thought while staring out at the orange glow of the sunset. But he knew that the peace was going to be short lived and that another one of Robotnik's attacks were imminent. _I have to get stronger. I can't let people continue to die under my watch._ The somber thoughts fueled his determination.

His right hand snuck underneath his quills and retrieved an object. Holding it in his palm, Sonic sighed as he stared at the blue crystalline memento; the faint rays of the sun making it seem to glow mystically.

 _I wish you were still here…_

"S-Sonic…?"

A quiet mutter suddenly made itself known, snapping the hedgehog out of his thoughts in the process.

Sonic lifted his head up and looked over at Tails. The fox's eyes were shut tightly and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. His head bobbed on the pillow in short movements, as if he were struggling to move.

Tails' entire body jolted suddenly as a hand came into contact with his own. Fear began to rise up but was quickly subsided when he heard the voice speak, "I'm right here buddy."

Relief replaced the growing fear as Tails relaxed, his hand weakly grasping Sonic's fingers to ensure that he didn't leave.

Sonic smiled at the cute action and pulled his chair up to the side of the bed to stay next to the partially awakened fox. He placed his hand over Tails' which made the corners of the fox's lips curl up in his own smile.

The blue hedgehog reclined back in his seat, his hand remaining in place. Nothing but the quiet sounds of whirring machinery could be heard, and he appreciated that. The peacefulness and quietness of it all weren't things he often came across in his day to day life.

"S-Sonic?" Tails' soft voice suddenly broke through the humming machines.

"Yeah bud?"

"You…you d-didn't mean i-it…did you?"

Sonic looked back at the fox with confusion evident on his features but Tails' eyes were still shut. "Mean what buddy?"

Tails seemed to hesitate before speaking, "A-About y-you a-a-aba-aban…"

Sonic felt the guilt return to him as he realized what the fox was trying to say, but couldn't.

Taking a deep breath, he began, "Tails…look at me." The fox's eyes slowly opened and through them, Sonic could see the ocean of fear and sadness. "I never meant what I said…about me abandoning you." He grimaced as the word itself seemed to make Tails' whole body tense. "I just…wanted you to live an actual life, away from all the bullies. One where you don't get beat up to the point you can't walk properly. When nobody gives you food and you're forced to steal from people. I just wanted you to…have the chance to live a normal life."

The air hung still as silence descended on the two. Sonic couldn't bear to look at the unhappy fox and instead chose to find comfort in the white walls and sheets.

"So…you won't…leave me?" Tails asked after a momentary silence.

Sonic turned his gaze to look back into the kitsune's eyes and saw the faded spark of hope that had been extinguished so long ago. "Just like I told you earlier," a smirk appeared on his face as he held his hand out in a thumbs up, "I ain't **ever** abandoning you **ever** again."

Content with the answer, Tails reclined his head back onto the pillow and rested his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered, "for taking care of me so much."

Sonic leaned back in the chair and let out a relaxed sigh, "You're welcome, Tails."

* * *

"Alright now, make sure you both get plenty of rest. If anything happens, just call us."

"Alright doc, thanks a lot for the help!"

The duo walked passed the sliding glass doors of the hospital and breathed in the cold morning air. Sonic stood with his hands on his hips, enjoying the peaceful morning for once. Tails stood next to the energetic hedgehog with a crutch under his right arm that the doctor had given him to help him walk around better.

"Ready to go, Tails?" Sonic asked, turning around to face his younger friend.

Tails looked up towards the hedgehog in slight confusion. "Go where, Sonic?"

"To my house of..course…" Sonic said excitedly before realizing that Tails most certainly still felt a connection to the now ruined West Side City. "After all, you're staying with me now right?" He asked in hopes of lifting the fox's spirits.

"Yeah..."

The duo started to trudge through the snow at a comfortable pace. Sonic occasionally glanced back at his new friend but was only ever met with a grim expression as Tails seemed to look at anything except the blue hedgehog.

"Um…Sonic?" The voice suddenly made his ears perk up. Turning back around, Sonic noted the worried expression of the kitsune.

"Yeah Tails?"

"Can we…go a way where there's less…people?"

Looking up, Sonic realized that people had begun to stop and stare at the two, scrutinizing the duo under their gaze. Normally, Sonic wouldn't mind when people stared at him. But one look at the fox was all he needed to see that they weren't looking at both of them, they were looking at _Tails_.

"Sure thing lil' buddy." He replied quickly and turned to walk down a narrower street. His arm wrapped around the fox's shoulder, an action he could tell was greatly appreciated.

Sonic berated himself for not realizing what was going on sooner. In his mind, it was his fault that the kitsune was now in a dejected state. The kid barely trusted him when they first met and was now forced to trust him completely in a foreign city with no one else to help him. Sonic sighed as he thought of ways to help the scared fox assimilate to a new life.

 _No matter where he goes, people will stare at him just cause of his extra tail. Reminds me of when people used to stare at me, but that stopped when I became known for stopping Robotnik. There's no way I can let the kid come with me to stop Botnik's attacks, he's way too young…_ All the methods Sonic thought of were either too dangerous or too uncomfortable for Tails. _One day he's gonna need to overcome his fear of people, but throwing him out into the public would just lose all the trust I already built with him…so what do I do?_ He rubbed his head as the invalid options gave him a headache. _Guess the only thing I can do now is make him trust me more, huh._

Sonic looked to his side and saw the same gloomy visage on his friend. His mind went to work again to figure out what he could say to lighten the mood. _The kid probably thinks everything bad is his fault with all the_ _ **bad luck**_ _mumbo jumbo they taught him. Maybe I could…_

"Hey Tails?" He said unexpectedly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm uhh…sorry that I couldn't save the city." The words came out before he could realize that they could possibly make the situation worse. In his mind, he had wanted to let the kitsune know that not everything bad was his fault, and of course, the first thing he thought of was Robotnik's attack. He criticized himself for not having many friends to talk to and not knowing how to properly comfort people.

"Oh…that…" Tails said solemnly, as if in thought. "I…don't actually mind…"

Sonic looked at the young kitsune in surprise. Of all the things he expected Tails to reply with, that was definitely not one of them.

"You…you don't mind?" Sonic asked questionably, his own ideals conflicting with the conversation momentarily caused him to forget that he was meant to be comforting the kid. "What-what do you mean by that?"

"I mean…I don't mind that the city was…destroyed"

"You don't mind?" Sonic said in disbelief. "All those people, the buildings, the kids and you say you _don't mind?_ "

Tails hung his head lower and looked off to the side. "…Yes."

"Tails…" Just from his tone, Tails could tell that Sonic was upset with him. "You…can't possibly mean that can you?" _He's only four years old and yet he doesn't care that thousands of people lost their lives?_ Sonic questioned himself; the true extent of what Tails had went through in his life becoming even vaguer.

Tails bit his lower lip, seemingly scared of the possible repercussions his reply could have. With hints of hesitation, he answered, "Yes…I do mean it."

Sonic felt a strange sense of confusion mixed with anger cultivate deep inside him. He stopped walking and turned to face the kitsune. "Tails…why? All those families, you don't feel anything? All those innocent lives that are now dead? All the people you knew?"

"I do feel something…" Tails muttered in a barely audible voice. "I feel…glad that they're gone…"

Sonic felt a sudden surge of emotion as he recalled the distinct memory of his parents, his hands unconsciously balled into fists. "Tails, _why_?!" He practically screamed, realizing that their similarities ended here.

"Sonic! I-"

"They had families of their own, people who loved them! Now that they're dead, who knows what kind of sadness their families are going through! The only reason I fight is to protect people from dying to Robotnik! How can you say you're glad that they're gone when you survived?!"

Tails' body shook under the rebuke from his so called friend, not from fear however, but from his own anger. "They _hated_ me Sonic!" His head snapped up revealing his teary blue eyes that glared at the hedgehog that looked at him in shock. "Every single day I was on my own! I had no _family_! No place to call _home_! Nobody cared about _me!_ Why is it wrong for me to hate them after all they've done?! After beating me _every day_ until I couldn't move? After stealing the few things I owned and breaking them right in front of me? Is it _wrong_ for me to hate them?! Huh?! Sonic?!"

Sonic stared at the kitsune in shock. He had never seen Tails this enraged before and it quickly snapped him out of his own rage induced mentality.

"Tails-"

"So how can I be glad that they're gone?!" Tails interrupted, his gaze unwavering. "You wouldn't understand that! You've never been beaten half to death only to be spared just so they could do it again! You've never had to live completely alone, wondering what you would eat next or the next time you get any sleep! People look at you and don't see a _freak_! How could _you_ possibly understand what I went through?!"

Sonic's mouth fell agape as he listened to the frustrated kitsune. The more he heard, the more he realized that Tails was right. He had never been in situations similar to the fox, not nearly to that extent. When his parents died, he still had Uncle Chuck to take care of him until he too died not long ago. Ever since then he had been alone. Due to this, Sonic couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to live alone for his entire life at the young age of 4. The hatred the kid built up over the short years was probably greater than anything Sonic had ever felt.

"Tails…I…" The kitsune turned away from him and held his hands up to wipe away the tears trailing down his face. "I…I'm sorry…I didn't realize how hard it must have been for you…"

His quiet sniffles resounded through the street. Sonic took note of all the things Tails said and wrapped his arms around the crying fox in a comforting embrace.

"I know…I shouldn't feel this way…but it's because they're gone that I survived…"

Sonic gently rubbed the kitsune's back, guilt striking through him for causing another problem in their already tense relationship.

Other people had previously noticed the commotion and stood around the two. One quick glare from the blue hedgehog however sent them all back to doing their own routines.

"You…hate me now don't you…?" Tails muttered silently.

Moments passed with no reply. Tails shuffled uneasily in the hedgehog's hold, preparing for the worst if it were to happen.

"I don't…hate you. I just hate…your views of other people…" Sonic said, suddenly breaking the tense atmosphere.

Tails looked up at the blue hedgehog feeling a sense of relief, confusion, and sadness all at the same time.

"You…don't hate me?" He asked in bewilderment.

"Tails, I could never _hate_ you." Sonic replied, a slight smile breaking across his features. "We'll…just have to work on your beliefs towards other people. Now come on, the train 'll be leaving soon." He said, eager to leave this dispute behind.

Sonic detached himself from the hug but kept an arm slung over the kitsune's shoulder. The two began to walk in silence through the secluded street. Though not a word was spoken between them, the tense ambiance had all but vanished. Sonic wondered what he could do to help the poor fox while Tails stared at the ground, wondering if Sonic did truly care for him like he said.

The blow of a train whistle was heard nearby, alerting the duo of its presence. Turning their heads up, they saw that the train station was now within sight.

"Come on lil' buddy," Sonic said with a small grin. "Don't wanna miss the train!"

Tails looked up at his friend, feigning his own smile. "Okay…and Sonic?"

"Hm?"

"It's…not your fault…"

Sonic looked at the fox in slight confusion before realization dawned in his eyes and he let out a chuckle. "Heh…thanks Tails."

* * *

The wooden door gave a small squeak as it was pushed open, allowing the dry air to whirl around the small room. A blue hedgehog stepped through the doorway followed by an orange fox with a crutch under his arm.

"So…what do ya think?" Sonic asked his younger companion.

"It…it's great, Sonic." Tails replied with a small smile.

"I know that it's not the cleanest, but it is warm and nice." He said sheepishly. "Let's sit down. That walk was tiring even for me!"

Sonic helped Tails walk over to a large couch before plumping himself down on it. Tails followed his move and found the couch to be surprisingly comfy.

There was a medium sized TV in the corner opposite the couch. An open doorway that lead to the kitchen was situated next to the hallway which he presumed lead to the bathroom and bedrooms. A few windows decorated some of the walls allowing sunlight to enter the room. Other than that, a coffee table sat in the middle of the room with seemingly random objects thrown about on top. All in all, it did seem rather cozy to the orange fox.

Sonic reached onto the coffee table and retrieved a remote which he then used to power on the TV. A news channel lit up the blank screen and on it, a news anchor could be seen talking into the camera.

" _-Seems to be the work of the infamous Dr. Ivo Robotnik as evident by this picture taken by a fisherman off the coast of West Side Island. It appears that the doctor has taken ove-"_

"OKAY let's try a different channel!" Sonic fumbled with the remote before the news broadcast changed into a different show about pirates and ships.

Sonic quickly looked to his side to see Tails' gloomy expression return after being reminded of the elephant in the room.

"So, ah, Tails? Want anything to eat?" He asked hopefully. Tails opened his mouth to reply but was beaten to it by the hedgehog, "Good! Uh, I'll be right back!"

Tails stared at the back of the retreating hedgehog as he disappeared into the kitchen leaving the kitsune by himself. The sound of a swordfight ensued from the TV but was ignored by all who heard it. Instead, Tails chose to focus on his own thoughts.

 _After all, you're staying with me now right?_

 _He does care about me…but I can't do this to him…_ He thought as he heard the sound of the fridge being opened.

For most of the walk to Sonic's house, he had thought nonstop about what Sonic had said due to it reminding him of the dream he had prior to waking up from the invasion.

 _It's not your fault, Miles…_

… _Then why do I feel responsible?_ Tails asked himself repeatedly. _It was my fault they all died, I just know it. But I can't let the same thing happen to Sonic, not while I know that sooner or later, it will happen._

His eyes shut as he encompassed himself fully into his thoughts. _I can't run away from him, he'd just try and look for me. And with this leg, it'll be impossible to leave._ He let out a sigh as his solution lead to a dead end.

 _I couldn't make him hate me either, he's just too nice._ _I knew he wouldn't let his feelings get in the way of something he cared deeply about. Telling me he was abandoning me just so I would live was proof of that. And yet…he doesn't hate me after I told him the truth of how I felt._

 _I know I should be sad that that method didn't work, but I can't help but feel a little happy that he cares so much about me…but that's just more reason for me to leave! I didn't leave in time to save the others, but this time, I can…_

… _Theodore…I was with him for about…two months? And all the others were even shorter than that…If I'm lucky, I might make it for a month before it happens…no…There must be some way! I don't wanna leave him but…if I don't…he'll die…_

"I hope you like chili dogs!" Sonic said happily as he returned to the room. His eyes landed on the fox with his eyes shut and head laid back. "Tails?"

"Yeah, Sonic?" Tails responded after realizing that his friend had returned.

Sonic placed the plate on the table and took a seat next to the fox. "Is something wrong?"

"No-no everything's fine." Tails replied. "I was just…a little tired. That's all."

Sonic looked warily at him before slightly shrugging his shoulders and picking up a chili dog. "Well, alright...just eat up before it gets cold."

Tails eyed the chili dog questionably before picking one up himself. Sonic couldn't help but chuckle as Tails examined it curiously before taking a small bite out of it. Tails' eyes widened before he devoured the chili dog faster than Sonic himself had ever eaten one.

Sonic looked on in surprise as the small fox reached for another chili dog and proceeded to demolish it in record time.

"Woah lil' buddy, slow down!" He said happily as Tails gorged his fourth chili dog. "Geez, you sure eat fast don't cha?"

Before long, Sonic had lost count of how many chili dogs the fox had eaten.

 _This kid…he really had it rough…_ He thought solemnly as Tails unintentionally ignored his remarks. _Come to think of it, he was like this when I first met him._ His eyes glanced at a calendar that hung on an adjacent wall. _That was…six days ago…wait…_ His gaze returned to the fox, wide open as a realization made itself known. _If that was the first time I gave him food…and with the Robotnik attack and the hospital…that means he hasn't had anything to eat in six days?!_

His stomach churned, the chili dogs he ate suddenly not feeling as good as they were meant to. _If that's true…he shouldn't even be able to walk in his condition!_ He looked on in disbelief, not by how many chili dogs Tails ate, but by his strength after his unintended fast. _I could ask him but, that would just bring back unwanted memories…no, the last thing I want to do is make him sad again._

Sonic looked on as the fox happily finished off the entire plate of chili dogs leaving the plate sparkling white. Tails leaned back on the couch and let out a content sigh.

 _One things for sure, I can't ever let him return to his old life._

* * *

The wind howled as it blew against the frame of the small house. All lights were shut leaving the area in a realm of complete darkness. A bedside digital clock glowed red, casting its shadow across the room as it read: _2:43 am_.

Tails lay still in the soft bed. His eyes remained shut but he couldn't be more awake. The wind protruded through the otherwise silent night, keeping him awake with their violent roars. But as much as he wanted to believe that was the case, it wasn't.

 _What do I do…?_ He questioned as he tumbled and turned on the bed, trying to at least get a bit comfortable. _I can't make the same mistake again._

His eyes opened and looked around the dark room. Despite not being the least bit tired, Tails had agreed to go to bed earlier as per Sonic's request. This of course led to his current situation of constantly shifting around on the bed while his chaotic thoughts prevented him from relaxing.

 _If only I never made him promise to never abandon me...then maybe I could do something. Gah! Why couldn't I control myself?! I knew his life would be in danger if I stayed with him...and yet...I couldn't think...just knowing he was alive should have been enough but...it wasn't._

He sighed for the umpteenth time and slowly sat up on the bed. He walked over to the blocked off window and lifted the blinds up slightly, standing on his tippy-toes to view the rampant storm beyond the thin glass. But even with his superior eyesight, nothing but darkness and snowflakes hitting the glass could be seen in the dense storm.

 _I can't just leave him…_ He sighed again as he moved away from the window and roamed into the hallway. _It's snowing way too much…_ His feet stopped in the middle of the path looking back towards a door next to him. The sound of muffled snoring could be heard through the violent winds.

 _No…it's just that I_ _ **don't want**_ _to leave him…_

Tails navigated his way through the small house and found himself in the living room where he had been sitting in just a few hours ago.

" _Wow, it's starting to snow quite a bit! How bout we head off to bed now before the wind gets too loud?"_

He recalled what Sonic had said prior to their separation.

" _What? Already? Soniiic, I just slept for two days in the hospital. I feel perfectly fine!"_

Of course, he had lied to Sonic. He didn't feel 'perfectly fine', who was he kidding?

" _Tails, the doctor said you needed to rest, now off to bed with you before I take you there myself!"_

What was it about the hedgehog that made him want to follow his orders?

" _Mmmh…fineee…"_

Now that he thought about it, did he ever act like that with his previous caretakers? Theodore was more like a grandfather, one that Tails upheld with the most respect. Thomas was a fatherly type; Tails had mixed feelings about him. Ada was nice, but he didn't listen to her until it was too late. Last of all was Maria, she-

A sudden thunder strike broke him out of his thoughts as it silenced the very winds themselves and made his heart skip a beat.

 _No…not lightning too…_ He shook worriedly as he prepared for the next _boom._ A distant memory protruded itself through his frenzied thoughts, reminding him of a similar event in the past.

" _Hmm? You're scared of thunder?"_

" _Mm…Somet-eep!"_

" _Hahaha!"_

" _I-I-It's not f-funny!"_

The sound of his breathing steadied as he closed his eyes and concentrated on drowning out all other noise.

" _Hah…Sorry Miles, it's just, I also used to be afraid of thunder!"_

" _R-R-Really? H-How did you get over it?"_

" _It's simple my dear boy…"_

The distant voice of Theodore resounded in his mind. His legs shuffled across the room, passing by the coffee table and picking up a discarded screwdriver. _Work…_ He stopped moving and placed his hands on the object in front of him. … _Ignore…_ The thunder boomed far behind him, his ears unmoved at the sound. … _Restore…_ The sound of shifting metal broke through the crashing winds. Nails clinked off each other in the darkness. _…Complete._

 _...That's it! This will be how I prevent it!_


	7. Wishful Thinking

Brother of Mine

Thank you to all those who read/review/favorite/follow this story! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 7: Wishful Thinking

Sonic let out a yawn and stretched his arms out into the open air. The bed beneath him creaked noisily under the weight of the awakened hedgehog, releasing a dull groan.

 _Uh…what time is it?_ He asked himself as he turned his head to look at his bedside clock. Blinking a couple times to rid themselves of their blurriness, his eyes faintly made out the numbers on the digital clock: _12:39 PM._

 _Wow I really slept in today!_ He thought as he shook his head to flush the last bit of fatigue out of his system. _Still, I didn't think I would be tired this long after that fight with Robotnik._

Sonic shuffled his way across the messy room and stepped through his door and out into the hallway. His ears twitched as they picked up the faint sounds of activity.

 _Hmm? Wonder what that is…_ He thought while walking through the empty hallway. Upon reaching the living room, his dreary eyes landed on the back of a familiar twin tailed fox in surprise.

"Tails?" Sonic queried, garnering the attention of the younger male, the argument that occurred between the two the day prior being forgotten momentarily. At the sound of his voice, Tails quickly twisted around to face the blue hedgehog that held a curious expression on his features. "What'cha doin?"

"Oh, Sonic! Did I wake you up?" Tails asked, visibly startled as he placed the two blue screwdrivers in his hands on the table. His face quickly contorted to one that was apologetic. "Sorry bout that…"

Sonic grinned reassuringly at the fox as he ruffled the kitsune's hair. "No need to apologize for that lil' buddy! It wasn't you that woke me up, I just got a little hungry, that's all." He said and rubbed his stomach to emphasize the point. Tails looked slightly relieved to hear that as a feign smile formed at the sight of the hedgehog's actions. "So, mind telling me what you're doing here?"

"Oh, that..." Tails turned around to glance at the TV screen behind him. "Well, I was thinking, because you've been so nice to me and all…that I could do something for you instead."

"You didn't have to do that, ya know." Sonic said causing Tails to grin sheepishly.

"No way! You deserve to be treated good too!" He replied while picking up the TV remote and pointing it at the black screen. In a flash, a wide variety of colors appeared on the formerly inactive screen as the TV powered on. "So, when I noticed that you didn't have a lot of channels, I wanted to fix that!"

Sonic watched as the kitsune pressed another button that switched the screen onto another interface. His eyes widened as the normally greyed out channels had suddenly turned bright blue.

"So, do you like it?" The four year old asked hopefully.

"That's amazing Tails!" Sonic commended bringing a smile to the little kitsune's face. "It's impossible to get this many channels this far in the Mystic Ruins! How'd you do it?"

"Well…it wasn't that hard…" He said humbly as he scratched the back of his head and sighed. "All I had to do was reprogram the satellite so that it could pick up a few more signals. After that I just had to connect a few wires and plug things into place, and then it worked."

Sonic whistled in fascination at the explanation, though he knew that it was far more difficult than Tails had described. "You really are amazing, ya know that?" He said while ruffling the kitsune's bangs. "How long did it take to finish?"

"Not, too long. I woke up a few hours ago and got the idea to do it." Tails said, unconsciously leaning into the hedgehog's hand.

"So you finished doing all this in only a couple hours?" He asked as Tails nodded happily. "Well, I think this calls for something special. How's a few celebratory chili dogs sound to you?"

"Sounds great Sonic!" Tails said enthusiastically, his eyes lighting up in joy.

Sonic chucked at the kitsune's good mood as he walked around the corner and into the kitchen. Tails stared the form of the retreating hedgehog until he was no longer in sight.

 _He really does care about me._ He thought as a warm feeling welled up within his chest. His hand covered the spot, as if holding it there would ensure that the feeling would never leave. _It's been so long since anybody actually cared about me…_

The sound of the oven turning on could be heard from the adjacent room. _If this is how it feels, then I never want it to stop…And as long as I don't fall asleep and Sonic doesn't find out, nothing bad will happen!_ He grinned in delight as he recalled his plan. _I'll only have to take a nap once every few days. Sleep building should give me enough energy to act normal in front of Sonic… but then again, I already feel way more tired than I usually do._

 _Hmm…maybe it's just that argument I had with Sonic yesterday, or maybe it's just the thunderstorm last night…_ He thought, his nose twitching as the smell of fresh chili dogs wafted through the air. _It was pretty loud; I could hardly concentrate on sleep working…Yeah…that must be it. It was just the thunder keeping me awake…_ The sound of footsteps broke him out of his thoughts as Sonic returned, a plate full of steaming chili dogs in hand.

"Eat up, lil' buddy!" Sonic said as he placed the plate onto the table and plumped himself onto the couch while eating a chili dog. Tails followed the example and grabbed his own chili dog, biting into it as soon as his fingers grasped the steaming bun. While chewing, he turned around and climbed onto the couch before resuming his meal.

Sonic eyed the kitsune curiously as he climbed onto the couch cushion that equaled him in height. His eye wandered to the reddened bandages around the fox's right knee, or more specifically, on what was behind it.

"How's your leg feelin Tails?" He asked in curiosity.

Tails stopped mid bite and wiped his muzzle before speaking, "It still hurts a little, but I think I can walk without a crutch now."

"Really? That was fast." Sonic said, surprised at how quickly an injury to that extent was healed in a matter of days. "You sure it feels fine?"

"It…doesn't hurt that bad, honestly." Tails replied after a slight hesitation. "How about you?"

Sonic grinned relaxingly at the kitsune. "Feel perfectly fine, especially after resting the whole day yesterday. Think I might even go out for a run later." He said, leaning forward to grab another chili dog. He let out an exaggerated yawn, stretching his arms out in a comedic fashion before taking another bite.

The two friends ate in pseudo silence, the sound of the TV being the only thing they heard.

Tails reached his hand forward, but suddenly stopped mid movement. "Um…Sonic?" He asked unsurely and retracted his arm.

"Yeah?" Sonic said, wondering what the fox was going to ask.

"Can I change the channel?"

Sonic sat dumbfounded at the strange request and eyed the kitsune weirdly. "You don't have to ask me if you want to do that. If you wanna do it then just do it, just like how you upgraded the TV." He said plainly.

Tails muttered a thanks and slowly reached onto the coffee table, plucking the remote out of the messy area. The screen flicked through numerous different shows before landing on one that piqued the young kitsune's attention.

Sonic noticed that the screen hadn't switched again and looked over to Tails. The fox had his eyes glued on the screen, even going as far as to slowly eat the chili dog in his hand to focus more on what was occurring on the TV set. "You like this show, Tails?" He asked in moderate amusement.

Tails broke his eye contact away from the screen and it was then that Sonic could see the genuine, happy smile that adorned his white muzzle. "Yeah, this is one of my favorite shows! I used to watch it almost every day back with…my old…caretakers." He said, his enthusiasm and voice slightly faltering near the end. Sonic was surprised to hear Tails talking about his previous life. It was just something the both of them wanted to forget altogether, especially after their disagreement the day before. Seeing the fox shake his head to rid himself of the dire memories and then return his attention to the show gave Sonic confidence that maybe Tails was succeeding in doing so.

Sonic resumed their conversation, albeit, he did his best to try and avoid causing past memories to resurface. "So, what's it about? Uh, the TV show, I mean."

Tails turned back to him, his eyes showing minor confusion at the question and a hint of thankfulness that Sonic changed the topic. "You mean you've never watched it before?" He tilted his head slightly. "It's one of the biggest shows on Mobius, everybody knows it!" His hand waved around as if trying to demonstrate his point.

The images on the screen continued moving as Sonic attempted to put a name on it. Shaking his head in the negative, Sonic turned his eyes away from the dim screen to refocus on sky blue eyes. "No idea. I don't usually watch TV unless I can't do anything else, and I guess that might be part of the reasons why I never bought more channels in the first place. So, mind tellin me a little about this guy." He said, pointing towards the screen. Even though he wasn't really that interested in learning about the show, the opportunity to talk to the kitsune and learn more about him was too good to pass up.

"Well, for starters, he teaches stuff about science." Tails said, indicating the onscreen figure dressed in a lab coat. "There's a lot of things he talks about too. Atoms, molecules, electricity, mechanics, machines, and geology, to name a few." Sonic snickered at the amusing and evident connection between the four year old genius and the TV show. "He taught me a lot about that stuff when there weren't many other things I could use to learn."

Sonic smiled at the joyful kitsune as he stood up and placed a hand on the other's head affectionately. "Then it's a good thing you got all these channels for free, now you can learn as much as you like, eh lil' buddy?" He grinned as his hand ruffled the kitsune's hair causing Tails to smile contently. After a few moments, his hand returned to his side and he began to walk towards the doorway. "I think I might go on that run now, gotta burn off all this energy after sitting the past two days!" He said eagerly.

Tails' blue eyes turned in surprise towards the blue hedgehog, not expecting him to leave so soon. "When will you be back?" He asked, not very excited by the fact that he was going to be left all alone for a while.

"Don't worry Tails, I'll just be gone for about an hour." Sonic replied quickly sensing the unhappiness that his statement had caused and hoped that he had at least managed to ease it a bit.

Tails only continued staring at the still hedgehog, as if he were trying to uncover any lie that could have been made. It unnerved Sonic to see that the kitsune still had trouble trusting him enough even to let him leave for a while.

"I won't be gone for long, I promise." He said, holding a hand over his heart.

The two continued to stare at each other, Tails holding a firm expression as Sonic smiled reassuringly, trying to defuse the tense atmosphere. After an unfathomable amount of time, Tails let out as sigh as his visage relaxed until it only held a slight frown.

"Well…okay…" He said as his eyes returned to the TV screen, devoid of their previously glowing cheerfulness.

Sonic felt a small lump form in his throat as the kitsune sank back onto the couch gloomily. The sight almost made him reconsider going out for his run, but he couldn't question that he needed to do it. He couldn't be with Tails every single day; he still had to stop Robotnik when the doctor decided to launch his next attack. And one thing was for sure, there was no way in hell he was letting Tails come with him when it happened.

The fox needed to learn that he could trust Sonic. He needed to know that no matter what happened, Sonic would always return. And even though the twin tailed fox's past was still much of a mystery to him, Sonic knew that Tails was gonna have to step out of his comfort zone in order to relieve himself of the past. Even if it was one tiny step at a time, ultimately, it would only help them both.

"Hey, don't worry lil' buddy, I haven't lied to you yet have I?" Sonic said, walking over to the slumped fox and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Besides, I promised to never abandon you, remember?"

Tails lifted his head up and looked into the hedgehog's emerald eyes. A small frown remained etched across his face as he watched Sonic return to his spot beside the door.

Sonic's eyes suddenly widened as his view landed on a spot near the door. "Hold on a sec Tails," He said as a smile slowly hatched onto his face. He bent down onto his knees as his fingers grasped a wooden hatch in the corner that gave a weak squeal as it was lifted open. Sonic looked back to the curious twin tailed fox sitting on the very edge of the couch and motioned for him to follow. "I was meaning to show you this before but, uh…hehe, I forgot." He said scratching the back of his head.

Tails furrowed his brows in confusion at the strange, dark entrance, but never the less hopped off the couch with a silent thud and steadily walked over to it. His eyes faintly made out the outline of a small flight of stairs before even it was consumed by the darkness.

"What is it Sonic? His quiet voice asked.

"Well, after seeing how much you love science and all that, I remembered I had something that I think you might like." Sonic replied as he stepped down the stairs and into the darkness that lay below it.

Unbeknownst to the hedgehog, Tails felt a twinge of fear wash over him, the fur on the back of his neck suddenly standing up as he watched Sonic descend into nothingness. Past memories that he had been desperately trying to forget suddenly flared up. His heartbeat and breathing quickened as his balance wavered, causing him to lean on the wall to steady himself. His right hand reached up and clutched the fur over his heart tightly.

In a flash, the darkness disappeared, and in its place shone a dim yellow light that revealed the smiling form of a blue hedgehog that held his hand next to a light switch. Sonic turned his head towards the fox, the smile on his face instantly disappearing in the process.

"Tails? Is something wrong?" He asked in concern.

Tails could feel his heartbeat gently begin to slow as the familiar face of the blue hedgehog came into view. Despite that, he still felt a wary about following his friend down the steps.

"W-what's b-behind that d-door?" He asked, shakily pointing towards the wooden door that formed one side of the walls surrounding the small square space that lay at the foot of the stairs.

Sonic glanced to the door at his side with a puzzled and uneasy expression. "It's the door to the garage where I keep my plane." He said, his mind wondering what he could have done that scared the kitsune. "…I wanted to show you it after seeing how much you love fixing stuff, but if you don't want to-"

"I-It's fine…" Tails interrupted and took a deep breath. "I-I…I want to see it…" His hand gripped onto the railings as he took a step down onto the staircase.

Sonic eyed the fox cautiously and made sure not to make any sudden moves as he slowly opened the door. His arm reached around into the room and flicked a light switch that illuminated the room and bottom of the stairs in a white light.

Tails slowly descended the stairs, taking single steps at a time due to his injury and the fact that his shorter legs were not being able to reach further. His eyes looked downwards, watching where he was stepping. It took most of his willpower to even continue down the flight of stairs.

His only motivating thought being, that if Sonic wanted to hurt him, he would have done so already.

The two remained silent until Tails reached the bottom of the stairs and stood next to Sonic, their eyes looking towards each other. And through them, Sonic could faintly see the tiniest bit of distrust.

"I…I'm sorry if I scared you lil' buddy, I didn't know you would feel this way." Sonic said as he bent down to the kitsune's height and placed his hands on the other's shoulders. Tails dejectedly turned his head away from the blue hedgehog without a word and peered into the bright room adjacent to them. Sonic noted where the kitsune was staring and followed his gaze. "I know it's not in the best shape, but I wanted to see if you would like it," Tails heard him say as his eyes refocused to coincide with the brighter lights.

The white lights illuminated the musty room, showering everything in a bright glow. Cabinets and drawers littered the walls in a disorderly fashion. Tools, screws, and bolts sat idly on a table on one side of the room while a large garage door occupied the entire opposite wall. But the main attraction stood in the centre of all the chaos, a rusty, blue biplane.

Tails felt himself gravitate towards aircraft similarly to when he first laid eyes on its successor, the Tornado. He felt the hands of the blue hedgehog lift off his shoulder as he took steady steps into the dusty room.

"I…It's great, Sonic." He uttered after swallowing a small lump in his throat.

Sonic leaned on the doorframe and sighed in relief. "I figured that you might wanna see it." He said. "It was my old plane before I got an upgrade. It doesn't fly as well as it used to, but you're the one who managed to fix the Tornado and I thought you would like something a bit more challenging than some old TV."

A few moments passed without a reply from the twin tailed fox. So when Tails turned around to face Sonic with small tears swimming in his sky blue eyes, the speedster was completely unprepared.

"Tails, what's wrong?" Sonic asked, racing to be beside the younger fox in a flash. His thoughts searched frantically for anything he could have said again that could have potentially struck a chord within the fox. His searching never got far, however, as Tails muttered a few words so softly that they were lost in the silence. "What was that?" Sonic asked gently.

"…Thank you." Tails said while staring into emerald green eyes, his mouth contorting between both a smile and a frown.

Sonic eyed the child in confusion before a smile overtook his features as he leaned forward to hug the emotional fox. "You don't need to thank me lil' buddy, I didn't really have a use for the thing if it was broken and I know you really like planes so I decided to give you a challenge." He said, thinking that Tails most likely overreacted at the prospect of being given such a large task.

A sudden choked giggle broke through the quiet sniffles as Tails rubbed the tears out of his eyes and smiled at the blue hedgehog. The reaction confused Sonic, but he decided to ignore it for now and focus on the fox in front of him.

"I-I'm fine…really." Tails said as the last of his sniffles died down. He took a deep breath and watched as Sonic rose from his kneeling position, keeping a hand on the young fox's shoulder.

"You don't have to worry about anything anymore Tails…" Sonic said with a small smile directed towards his friend. "After all, you live with me now."

Tails exhaled as the familiar statement was said again. "Yeah…I know…" He returned the smile, feeling comforted by the words spoken by the hedgehog instead of fearing them like he had just the day prior.

Sonic sighed in relief as the fox's mood slowly returned to normal. He lifted his hand off the kitsune's small shoulder and unhurriedly strolled back over to stand under the door frame.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Sonic asked, looking back over his shoulder towards the fox. Tails nodded his head, not making a sound as he watched the blue hedgehog. Sonic made sure to choose his next words carefully, "I'll be back in an hour, I promise."

Tails exhaled a little as if he already knew that his friend was going to say that. "Okay. Please just…don't be late." He uttered loudly enough for the speedster to hear.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sonic replied, grinning. And in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

* * *

The house stood silent in the large forest of the Mystic Ruins. Not a sound was made, the wildlife having migrated elsewhere due to the winter storms. Snow decorated the trees and branches making everything glisten and glitter when the sun's rays reflected off the cold surfaces. The house had also been covered by a blanket of snow that blended it in with the winter scenery. Directly in front of the door was a trail of hurried footprints that stretched out and away from the humble abode.

Tails sighed while standing on a chair inside the garage, entertaining himself with all the tools on the workbench that were at his disposal. Behind him sat the behemoth biplane that he was oh so excited to begin working on. The blue blur had left to go on his run a few minutes ago leaving the young fox all alone in the house.

The dull clinking of metal against metal reverberated throughout the house. Tails held the dirtied tools in his hands, inspecting their condition. Most of the apparatuses he already knew how to use which gave him quite a head start at fixing the plane. He picked out a few from the cluster and sat down to slide off the chair.

His dull footsteps made light thuds as he walked over to the biplane. Crawling under the centre of the aircraft proved simple with his small form as he twisted over to lay on his back and pried open a cover under the hull.

The only sounds in the house were that of gears twisting and metal clanging against metal. Minutes passed by as Tails silently worked on the machine.

 _It's so quiet without Sonic around._ He thought after a while. _Now that I think of it, this is the first time I've been alone since…that happened._

Tails shook his head to rid himself of those memories and focus on the task at hand, but it proved to be of little success as other thoughts soon filled their place, the silent house only amplifying the effect. Breathing out a sigh, Tails did his best to ignore the thoughts. _I can't keep thinking about the past, I have a new life now, with Sonic…_

… _But then, why do I keep lying to him?_

His mind projected an image of the blue hedgehog, smiling at him with a big goofy grin. _Sonic…there's so much that I want to tell you, but I can't._ He thought with a frown. _I wish you would realize just how much I want to tell you…It hurts, having to tell you I'm fine when I'm not…every time I fake a smile, I hope you notice it…but you don't…_

The tools clinked in his hands as his thoughts wandered back to earlier when he thanked the hedgehog who thought that the fox was overwhelmed by the sudden surprise and proceeded to comfort him accordingly. Tails didn't know whether to laugh at the hedgehog's assumption or be saddened by it.

Then there was even earlier in the day when Tails asked Sonic if he was allowed to change the channel. _You probably don't understand why I had to ask that…_ He thought solemnly. _You just told me to do It like how I fixed the TV without your permission…but I didn't mean to do that either. It was dark, and I was scared. I didn't mean to change the TV, it just happens when I sleep build. That's one of the reasons I tried to act nicer to you this morning, so you wouldn't yell at me…_ His thought trailed off as an image flashed into his mind.

" _Miles!" A voice yelled._

" _Y-Y-Yes?"_

" _Did I say you could watch your stupid science shows?!"_

"… _N-No…"_

" _Then don't change the channel without my permission!"_

 _A loud thud echoed across the room followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. A door shut with a bang. The lock clicked shut, sealing him in the empty room. The deathly silence was soon accompanied by quiet sobs._

"No…that was then…I live with Sonic now…he even said I don't need to ask anymore…" Tails said aloud in an attempt to reassure himself. His head suddenly felt dizzy, forcing him to slow his task.

" _Miles! Get in here!"_

 _Light footsteps dashed on hardwood until they suddenly stopped._

" _Y-Yes?"_

" _Were you the one who touched my laptop_ _ **without**_ _permission?"_

" _What? No!"_

" _Yes he did mommy! Miles is always getting into trouble! I was watching when he took your laptop and dropped it! You should have seen it! The pieces flew everywhere and Miles ran away like a scaredy cat!"_

" _I did not!"_

" _Miles! Enough with this nonsense!"_

" _But I didn't do it!"_

" _Yeah, and I won't throw you back out on the street!"_

" _What?! Please don't! I'll do anything!"_

" _Then do me a favor, and get_ _ **out.**_ _"_

" _Bye bye…scaredy cat!"_

"No!" Tails yelled and shut his eyes tightly. "I was supposed to forget that!" He held a hand up to his head to try and soothe the raging thoughts but it just didn't work. The barrage of memories continued.

" _Don't worry Miles; I'll be back before you know it."_

" _Okay! Can you buy me something while you're gone, uh, if you don't mind, of course?"_

" _Of course! Anything for you sweetie!"_

" _Yes! There's this really tasty ice cream my grandpa used to get for me, it's green and white, and tastes really yummy! Can you buy one for me, please?"_

" _Of course I can, I'll be back soon, take care Miles!"_

" _Bye bye!"_

 _The clock ticked on and on, tormenting the distressed fox._

" _Where is she? She said she'd be back before I know it! So why isn't she here yet?"_

 _His eyes remained glued on the still door, begging it to open and for someone to come through._

 _But the door never opened, and nobody ever came._

"NO!" Tails shouted, flinging his tools to the side. "Sonic would never leave me like that!" He thought, desperately trying to reign in his frenzied emotions. Suddenly, a single thought flashed through his head, silencing all the others.

" _Leave you? Boy, I would never leave you!"_

" _Really? You mean it?" He asked, eyes shining in hope._

" _Of course! Loyalty is my middle name!"_

" _Hehe!"_

" _That's more like it! I like it better when you laugh!"_

" _Hehe…Thanks, you know, for taking care of me…" He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed._

" _It's my pleasure kid. Now come on, I have a surprise to show you!"_

" _Really? But we only just met a few days ago!"_

" _So? Gifts aren't only given during special occasions!"_

" _Well…alright, I guess. Where are we going?"_

" _Just down these stairs, I know it's a little dark but trust me, it'll all be worth it…"_

" _Uh, it's really dark!"_

" _Yes…yes it is…"_

" _So uh, what are you gonna show me?"_

" _It's just through this door, come on, don't be shy."_

" _Hmm? But I don't see anything in there."_

 _The lights flicked on._

" _Exactly."_

" _Wha-OOF!"_

Tails grit his teeth so tightly that a bit of blood leaked out of his mouth as the memory fully resurfaced.

 _The punch silenced the few sounds in the room._

" _H-H-Hey! W-What w-was that for?!"_

" _It's your_ _ **gift**_ _of course!"_

" _W-What do yo-OW!"_

 _A boot crashed into his chest. He could only let out short yelps and cries before another hit landed._

" _You know…on second thought, I think I like it better when you_ _ **scream**_ _…"_

"… _N-no…I-I thought…I thought I could trust you!" His legs struggled to stand._

" _You can trust me! Like I said…_ _ **I would never leave you**_ _…"_

"NO!" Tails screamed as he covered his ears with his hands, his entire body shaking as he did so. "STOP IT!" His body swung forwards in an attempt to sit up but ended up smashing his forehead against the steel hull of the biplane. With a bang, his movements and thoughts completely ceased as he collapsed onto the floor.

"Aghhhh…" He muttered under his breath. His tightly shut eyes gradually pried themselves open but his face remained strained. A dull groan escaped his lips as he very slowly tried to sit up but failed when a sudden dizziness made him feel sick. He unwillingly lay back down and placed a hand to his forehead.

Through blurry eyes he could see the colors of dark red entering his vision. He lowered his hand and noticed his dirtied glove's fingers stained in slight traces of blood.

Tails' breathing quickened, swiftly returning the hand to comfort his temple as a splitting headache ripped through his skull. His right eye shut again as blood leaked further into his view. Every sound and thought was suddenly amplified to his ringing ears and only served to worsen the headache.

He lay still beneath the aircraft that thankfully blocked the blazing white lights from view. All he wanted to do right now was rest his aching head, maybe even go to sleep until the pain subsided. His remaining eye strained to glance at the clock on the wall but was unable to make out any firm details through his blurry vision.

Minutes past but the painfulness only increased. Tails grit his teeth in agony as he made another attempt to stand but the dull ache in his knee forced the result to remain the same. Even worse, a sudden urge to vomit travelled up his throat when a wave of nausea washed over him in disorientation.

Tails could feel the vomit practically climbing up his throat that was constantly becoming intensified by his haphazardly swirling eyesight. One arm hugged his belly in an attempt to quell the sickness; the other arm clutched his forehead. He didn't dare open his eyes. Nothing sounded better than to just lay down and rest until the pain went away.

* * *

Before the door could even close behind him, he already took off running, kicking up snow in his wake and leaving behind deep footprints. A long sighed escaped the blue hedgehog's mouth as he ran out into the forest.

 _Sure feels good to be runnin again._ He thought longingly, the snowy white setting around him morphing into a plain green one. _Oh yeah, this is the first time I've had a run since coming back from West Side City._ His legs were just a blur while he ran relaxingly through the forest.

 _I haven't had much time for myself the past few days, have I?_ The adrenaline from running coursed through his body, a feeling he had missed dearly. _Boy, have I missed this._

His thoughts wandered back to the twin tailed fox that currently occupied his house. Who knew taking care of a kid would be so difficult? Despite not knowing much about taking care of someone younger than him, Sonic hadn't expected it to be this hard. He knew it would definitely be more challenging. Tails' ominous past and seemingly random outbursts had already guaranteed that.

So of course he knew that he was going to be in for a roller coaster ride when he adopted him. Past events weren't easy to let go of. But despite all the problems and emotional effusions, he didn't regret a thing about adopting the kid. Ever since his parent died he hadn't made friends with anyone and sometimes even ignored the ones who were already his friends. He was always busy. Robotnik was the one and only thing he ever thought about. Every day for the past few years he spent training himself to become faster and stronger in hopes of one day defeating the mechanical overlord.

But those lonely days seemed to be ending. With the inclusion of Tails in his daily life, Sonic already found that he had less time to spend by himself. That fact should have been bothering him after his hideous defeat at the hands of the doctor on West Side Island and the deaths of all that inhabit it, but for some reason it didn't faze him as much as it should have. He knew he should feel like he was wasting time by not running, not fighting, and not pushing himself. But he didn't.

He felt happy. Not a million-dollar-lottery-winning kind of happiness, but a kind when you give someone a gift that was long overdue. Only, he felt it a hundred times stronger than that. Saving towns and cities from Robotnik gave the same feeling albeit at a much smaller scale. Most people were already well off before they even met the blue hedgehog, and he just came in and saved their town from being robotized and left. The fame and praise he received was nice, but it certainly wasn't what he was truly after.

 _I wish Tails would trust me more; it's almost as if he's scared of me sometimes._ He thought watching the ocean crash on the beach while he sprinted by. The image of the panic-stricken fox re-entered his thoughts. _He looked so… scared. It's just like he said, I can't imagine what that city did to him to make him hate them so badly. If only he would tell me what happened in the past, but there's no way he'll tell me that if he hasn't even told me his real name yet._

But Sonic knew that the fox had a good reason to keep his name a secret too. _Miles Prower, huh,_ He recalled what the West Side citizens referred to the fox as during the night of evacuation. When he realized what the two words sounded like when said together, he almost laughed at the uncanny name, but just one look at the fox that slept so peacefully and innocently beside him that night silenced every thought and even made him feel guilty for finding it funny in the first place.

 _No wonder Tails hates that name._ He thought referring to his twin tailed friend with his much more desirable epithet. His feet came to a stop as he stood on the very edge of a green, hillside cliff that overlooked the ocean for miles on end. His hands were placed comfortably on his hips, his mouth inhaling the fresh ocean air. The peacefulness washed over him like a cup of hot chocolate in the freezing winter. _I gotta bring Tails here sometime; it might help him relax more, which is exactly what he needs._

An indefinite amount of time passed as the hedgehog simply stood there, enjoying the serenity that he intended to defend from a certain doctor. _Maybe I should head back now; it's probably nearing an hour since I left._ He thought, remembering the promise he made to the kitsune.

Turning back towards the way he arrived, Sonic dashed off, the wind from his speed whipping the grass up into the air in the process.

 _I hope he's okay by himself._ The scenery blurred past him, the wind blowing fiercely in his face. _I didn't wanna leave him alone after what happened, but I couldn't keep sitting still like that either._ He thought as the familiar snowy forest came back into view.

 _Besides, he seemed happy to have a plane to work with, although, maybe a little overwhelmed._ He let out a loose sigh as his shoes crunched on the familiar snow. In truth, Sonic thought it was best to leave the fox by himself for the time being. He did seem pretty upset that Sonic was going for a run, but the hedgehog managed to deduce that it was most likely due to a past event that caused him to be like that. So if Sonic kept his promise and returned, wouldn't that at least strengthen the trust they shared between each other? It only made sense to him that it would, and trust was definitely something they needed more of.

He refocused his eyes as the familiar façade of his solitary house came into view. The footsteps he left earlier were just as deep and noticeable, and there were no other footprints meaning Tails hadn't come outside at all. _Funny,_ Sonic wondered, _I thought he might've been waiting for me outside. Well, it is cold. Maybe he's looking through the window to see when I get back._ But a quick glance towards the curtains disproved that theory.

Sonic hummed in curiosity. _Tails really didn't want me to leave, is he that interested on working on that old plane?_ He thought as he pushed the door open, allowing the chilly wind to flow into the dim house. The door fell shut, slamming in place. Sonic looked around the living room but found nothing.

"Tails I'm back!" He shouted. An uncomfortable silence reigned throughout the small house, not even the clinking of metal could be heard.

Sonic didn't like it one bit. He hurried over to the staircases that lead to his garage, descending it quickly. Turning the corner, his eyes widened as they caught sight of the four year old fox, lying underneath the rusted biplane, blood slowly leaking from his unconscious head.

* * *

A hushed silence lulled the room into complete stillness. The clock which hung on the wall ticked on periodically, encompassing the room with its dull rhythm. Only a small night-light provided the means by which to see inside the motionless bedroom.

The small yellow fox lay quiescent in his bed, a blanket draped over his body. His breathing was barely audible to the hedgehog that sat a few meters away. Neither figure moved a muscle. Silence reigned on.

Slowly, the fox's eyes lifted, his eyelids droopily opening. His low moan broke the silence, alerting the blue hedgehog of the new development.

Tails stared up at the dark ceiling through groggy eyes. His mouth felt extraordinarily dry and prevented him from saying anything. A sudden rush of wind abruptly broke him out of his futile attempts, startling him in the process.

"Here, drink this." Tails' body jolted at the unexpected voice. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and with assistance from the out-of-view night light, he could faintly make out a few details of a familiar blue hedgehog. He breathed a faint sigh of relief and relaxed from the previous shock.

"Let me help you sit up." A pair of arms encircled his small torso and gently lifted him up into a sitting position. Tails instantaneously clutched his head as the movement induced a wave of pain and dizziness over him. "Drink some water; it'll help you feel better." An object nudged lightly against his hand, to which the anguished fox gratefully accepted. He swiftly downed the cup of water before lying back against the pillow.

"Thank you, Sonic," Tails muttered, looking guiltily away from the blue hedgehog that stood next to the bed. His hand held onto his head, easing the dizziness. Even without using his hand to feel it, Tails could tell that there were new bandages wrapped securely around his head.

"You're welcome," Sonic replied. Tails winced at the tone of voice Sonic spoke with. It wasn't the concerned, worried voice that the hedgehog normally spoke to him with. It was completely the opposite. Stern, and exact. "Now…mind telling me what happened?" Sonic asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Tails gulped. This was the second time he ever made Sonic mad, and the first time had just happened the day before.

Swallowing his fears, Tails slowly spoke, "I…I-It was an accident…I…I'm sorry, Sonic…"

Tails risked a glance at the blue hedgehog but only managed to see the stern frown on his face before quickly turning back away.

"Tails, I want to know what happened." He could feel the hedgehog's unrelenting eyes drilling into him with every syllable.

"I…fell…I-I got distracted and d-didn't pay attention and fell on my head…" Tails said, quickly formulating a lie. "I-I feel fine though, Sonic. Y-you d-don't have to worry about me…"

"Fine?" Sonic asked incredulously. "You feel _fine?_ Tails you are not, _fine!_ " He nearly shouted putting extra emphasis on the word. Tails' ears wilted downwards under the raised voice and his jaw clenched slightly, trying to subdue his emotions.

"S-Sonic I-I…I-"

"Don't try and argue, Tails!" Sonic interrupted causing the four year old to flinch, the hedgehog's anger seemingly surpassing even their argument from the day prior. "You've been unconscious for hours! You knocked your head hard enough to make it bleed, your words are slurred when you talk, you can barely even move, and you could have got a concussion or worse! You are not _fine_!"

An abrupt boom echoed across the room, frightening the young kitsune as Sonic unexpectedly slammed his fist into the wall.

"I-I-It was an accident, Sonic…" Tails whimpered, his lips quivering as for the first time ever he felt fearful of the hedgehog.

Tails felt as a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder and abruptly turned him around to face the hedgehog.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Sonic sharply asked, raising his hand up a fair distance away and within range of the night light.

Even with the help of the light, Tails could barely make out how many fingers the hedgehog held up. His eyes strained against the blurriness, but to no avail.

"Well?!"

"Uh, uhm…f-f-four…?" Tails hesitantly replied. Sonic lowered his hand and released the kitsune from his hold.

A deathly silence followed his statement, further intensifying the knot he felt in his stomach.

"I was holding up two…" Sonic said in a mix of surprise and disbelief. Tails gulped anxiously as he sank back onto the pillow, his breathing wavering slightly.

"I trusted you Tails..." Sonic stated in a slightly lower voice. "I trusted you when you said you were fine, but you weren't fine, were you?" His tone made it sound more of a statement than a question. "Why didn't you say anything about it?"

Tails gripped his head tightly as his thoughts pleaded for him to tell the hedgehog everything that was wrong and that he truly was far from fine. The headache suddenly feeling ten times worse than it was before.

"I-I…didn't want to make you worry about me…" He muttered, debating on whether or not to tell Sonic the whole truth. "…it's just that, sometimes I get these thoughts that…remind me, of something that happened in the past. It's nothing…serious, though."

The clock ticked on as an uncomfortable silence trailed behind his words. Tails heard the hedgehog sigh in frustration followed by the creaking of bed springs and shifting mattresses, indicating that Sonic had taken a seat besides the young fox. A gloved hand found itself on his shoulder, prompting him to look up into emerald green eyes.

"Tails, I know that the past is hard to forgot, and believe me, I do," Sonic stated, his previous anger had lessened but he was just as firm. "But that doesn't give you an excuse not to tell me when you're not okay. You said you don't want to worry me, but doing this makes me worry even more. I just want you to tell me whenever something's wrong…"

Tails lowered his head, breaking eye contact away from his friend. He couldn't continue looking at the disappointed face of the hedgehog, the guilt he felt would only increase.

"You already know that I would never do anything bad to you, don't you?" Sonic continued. "Tails, I want to help you move on from the past, but I can't do that if you won't let me," He paused, letting out a sighing. "I need you to trust me. Trust me when I say I'll never hurt you. Trust me when I say I'll always come back, because _I will_."

Tails remained quiet, his face downcast, looking at anything other than the blue hedgehog. "But, because trust is a two way relationship, I'm gonna have to say that until you learn to trust me, I can't trust you," He felt his heart wrench as he heard Sonic's words. "So from now on, I can't let you stay here alone when I go out for a run. That means wherever I go, I'm bringing you along with me, and if you can't come with me for some reason, then I'll find someone else to take care of you until I get back."

Sonic didn't want to have to impose a set of rules for the four year old to follow, but with the earlier incident, he didn't really have a choice. He took a deep breath, letting the fox process the information. "It also means that I'm not letting you fix anything anymore, not without my permission."

He felt the fox's upper body quickly jerk in response to the unexpected restriction. Tails' head whipped around to look at him with his mouth agape and big blue eyes, wide in shock.

"Sorry kid," Sonic remorsefully began, knowing that this was mostly about the biplane, "But I can't let you work on it, not in this condition. And even if you know how to fix it, you're still too young. It's too dangerous Tails…"

This time, Sonic felt his heart drop as Tails twisted his head away, the pained expression remaining on his face. Sonic knew that that rule was going to be the hardest one to follow. The four year old was practically in love with machinery and knew more about them than he did. To Tails, losing the privilege to use them would be like if Sonic lost the ability to run.

"…It'll only be for now Tails. I promise I'll still let you build and fix stuff, but I'm gonna have to limit what that can be…" He said, lifting his hand from the kitsune's shoulder and standing up from the bed. "…I don't wanna have to see you in so much pain…whether you believe it or not, I care about you. Seeing you suffer all the time, it's just, I can't bear to watch it…"

Sonic watched as the kitsune sat still against his pillow, biting the bottom of his trembling lips to try and stop them from shaking. Neither did he respond as Sonic wrapped his arms around the fox's small chest and gently laid him back down on the bed.

"I wish you could trust me enough to tell me what happened to you in the past…" The sound of his footsteps receded, getting closer to the open doorway. "It's almost midnight. Go to sleep Tails, you need to rest." He stated authoritatively.

The squeak of the wooden door slowly shutting resounded eerily in the darkness.

"I wish I could tell you…" Tails mumbled under his breath so quietly that he knew Sonic couldn't hear, but he still desperately hoped he did. "…just…know this. The suffering I feel now is nothing compared to what I used to feel."

The door clicked shut, leaving Tails to only hope that the message had been successfully heard by its recipient.

* * *

The bedside digital clock shone its ruby red numbers through the darkness.

 _12:52 am…_

The sound of soft snoring travelled through the paper thin walls and could be heard throughout the entire house.

 _It's time…I've waited long enough…_

A bed squeaked carefully in the darkness followed by shifting feet that tip toed across the wooden floor boards. The door gently opened, the light in the hallway illuminating the floor of the room in a dim buttery yellow light.

A little yellow fox cautiously stepped out of the room, cradling his forehead with one arm while the other held steadily onto the wall. His feet stopped moving momentarily to stand outside of a certain room blocked by a closed brown door.

 _I do trust you. I just don't trust myself…_

Tails' blue orbs looked sadly at the door, a few tears occupying the edge of his eyes.

 _...please just, don't hate me. I need to do this…_

With a final glance at the door, he twisted his head back around and quietly made his way to the front entrance. The trapdoor squealed as it was lifted from its spot in the floor, jolting the kitsune at the loud noise. The snores resumed as Tails lifted the heavy gate just enough to slip into the hole beneath it.

The gate slowly lowered, shutting back into place. Silence returned to the living room, as all lay still in the dead of the night.


	8. Insomniatic Fox

Brother of Mine

Thank you to all those who read/review/favorite/follow this story! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 8: Insomniatic Fox

Tails shuffled his legs inwards to a more comfortable position under the heavy blanket. His eyes stared blankly ahead at the slightly glowing wall where glimmers of sunshine formed soothing patterns. Though there were no lights on, the room was well lit by the sunlight that streamed through the windows and curtains behind him, awakening the room with its early morning rays.

Beyond the closed wooden door, Tails could faintly hear the dull thudding of shoes against floorboard, which no doubt belonged to the blue hedgehog that had awoken not too long ago.

The thuds increased in both speed and proximity before suddenly stopping. Not a moment later, a gentle knock on the door alerted Tails of the hedgehog's presence, his eyes shifting towards the door in response.

"Tails, you awake?" Sonic's voice called out as the door squeaked partly open, revealing his slightly inclined form.

Tails groaned lowly at the unexpectedly loud voice that tore at his eardrums. "Yeah…just, not so loud, please." He murmured, quickly holding a hand to his ear.

"Whoops, uh, sorry about that." Sonic said in a much quieter tone. He slowly pushed the door until it was fully open and stepped into the room holding a plate and glass of water in his hand. "I thought you might like some breakfast, seeing as you didn't eat dinner last night."

Sonic sat down on the side of the bed as Tails fallibly used his arms to push himself up into a sitting position. Placing the plate on the bedside table, Sonic assisted the fox into a more comfortable position before handing him a glass of water.

"Thank you, Sonic," Tails sighed out after drinking the cup of clear liquid. He really didn't feel like eating right now. But he didn't want to turn down Sonic's offering either, especially not when their trust was as delicate as it was. So he cradled the plate in his lap, staring silently at its contents while nibbling on a chili dog, thinking that it was a good opportunity to mend his relationship with his one friend.

"You're welcome," Sonic replied, though without the usual joyous mood that went along with it. "Hey Tails, you sure you're alright?" He asked skeptically.

Tails looked up from the plate and rubbed his mouth with his hand before speaking, "I have a small headache and I feel a bit dizzy, but other than that, I'm okay."

Sonic raised an eyebrow and looked perceptively at the younger fox; as if this time **he** was trying to deduce whether or not Tails was lying.

The four year old twisted a bit under the elder hedgehog's stern gaze, though he had expected it. He did his best to act the same as he usually did, but on the inside, he was pretty much dead tired. And truthfully, he hoped Sonic would notice that.

"Your eyes…what's wrong with them?" Sonic suddenly asked, surprising the kitsune as he moved forwards to get a closer view. "There are dark circles under your eyes…Tails…how long ago, exactly, did you wake up?"

Tails did his best to hide the stunned expression that crept on his face, having completely forgotten about that small fact ever since he snuck back into bed. "Uh...well, I woke up about an hour ago when my head started to hurt really badly," He quickly said to mislead his friend from the truth that he suddenly didn't feel like revealing. A hand shot up to rub his temple and emphasize his point. "But…it's fine now though."

"Hmm…then, what is up with your eyes?" Sonic asked, leaning back to sit back up straight and crossing his arms. "If what you said is true, and you've been sleeping the right amount the past few days, then there shouldn't be any black circles under your eyes…unless, you're not telling me the truth…are you, Tails?"

A few beads of sweat suddenly protruded from his head as he frantically racked his brain for an excuse to say to the hedgehog. He tried to keep his eyes steady and calm, but that was made equally more difficult by Sonic's own hard stare that was evidently filled with doubts and distrust.

Tails raised a finger to feel the spot under his eye, the dirty texture of his glove suddenly giving him an idea. "Well, uh, I haven't taken a bath in a long time. Maybe I'm just a bit dirty from working on the plane yesterday," He said rather quickly with a sheepish smile.

Sonic raised his eyebrows at the unexpected reply. _Well, it is possible…_ He thought while looking at the kitsune, unaware of just how nervous Tails was. He was certain that the fox was just going to deny the statement and proclaim that nothing was wrong, in which case Sonic would push on, knowing that Tails was lying. But now, he didn't think that calling the fox out for lying would be a good idea, especially when the argument was plausible.

"Well, I mean, I guess that could be it…" Sonic said after a slight debate with himself on whether or not to trust the four year old. Tails silently sighed in relief as his quick diversion was a success. "But that also means, you're gonna need a bath," He continued, getting up from the bed.

"Okay Sonic," Tails complied, not wishing to draw further suspicion to himself. He gently placed the plate on the bedside table before shuffling his legs over the side of the bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sonic asked, holding an arm out to block the kitsune from hopping off the bed.

Tails turned his head towards Sonic and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I'm coming to help you," he stated as if it were obvious.

Sonic frowned as he placed his hands under the fox's armpits and gently lifted Tails back fully onto the bed despite the kitsune's childishly confused look. "Not with that head injury you're not. I'll prepare the bath for you, you just stay here and finish your breakfast." Sonic stated unquestionably, pointing at the barely eaten chili dog. "I'll tell you when the bath is ready, okay?"

Tails let out a small sigh but nonetheless leaned forward to retrieve the plate.

"Okay," He muttered as he watched Sonic grin back at him before turning towards the door and walking through it.

The room once again fell into silence. Tails nibbled lightly on the chili dog as the sound of running water made itself known in the background.

 _It's only been two days but I already have dark circles under my eyes? That doesn't make any sense…I used to be able to do it for way longer and not get tired!_ He thought while staring at the chili dog in his hand. _Maybe it's because of my injuries…or I just haven't done it in a long time._

 _Or cause you haven't slept in days!_

Tails widened his eyes at the unforeseen voice.

 _Who are you?_

 _That doesn't matter. What matters is that you go to sleep._

 _But I can't. If I do then something bad will happen, I just know it._

 _He's getting suspicious of you, stay awake any longer and he'll find out what you're hiding._

 _But I can't just go to sleep! Well, not here anyway._

 _Then leave him! You will only suffer if you don't!_

 _No! If I have to suffer to stay with him then I will!_

 _That will not end well for either of you!_

His eyes glanced up to the digital clock: 10:45, it read, meaning it was still quite early. _I just need to find some time away from Sonic and take a nap, but when can I…?_

"Tails, come on! The bath is ready!" Sonic's voice suddenly rang out through the house.

"Coming!" Tails laid the plate on the table before gingerly sliding off the bed. Giving his right leg a short once over, he was surprised to find that it didn't hurt as much as the previous day. With that in mind, the young fox trekked through the somewhat messy room, minding the slight dizziness in his head as he went.

 _Wonder if he likes kid's toys as much as machines…_ Sonic wondered while holding up a plastic toy boat meant for children. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of little feet causing him to turn around and watch as Tails entered the medium sized bathroom.

"Whoa, what's that smell?" The aforementioned fox asked, sniffing the air curiously.

"Hehe, that would be the bubble bath you're about to take." Sonic replied, pointing a thumb behind his shoulder and grinning.

"It smells so nice…" Tails walked past Sonic and leaned over the tub, taking in its delightful scent.

"Hold on lil' buddy, you gotta take off your shoes and gloves first, remember?" Sonic interjected before the fox could lean too far and accidentally topple into the warm water.

Tails embarrassedly smiled as he carefully removed his gloves and shoes before looking back up at the hedgehog with a questioning glance. "What about my bandages Sonic? Should I take them off too?" He asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah…that. It'll probably be fine if you took em off," Sonic watched as Tails slowly unravelled the dingy bandages on his arms and midsection, revealing the dirty yellow-white fur underneath. Sonic quickly dumped the dirtied dressings into the garbage can while keeping his eye on the kitsune. When it came time to unwrap the fox's right knee, they both did their best to look away from the heavily stained red fur, neither wanting to lose their breakfast to the messy sight. Sonic sighed just as the procedure finished.

"Ah, maybe you shouldn't take those ones off just yet," He quickly interjected, stopping Tails in mid-motion just as the fox began removing the bandages wrapped around his head. Sonic grinned as he bent down and lifted the four year old up by placing his hands underneath the fox's raised arms. Letting out a small chuckle at the fox's surprised expression; he carefully hoisted Tails over the edge of the bath tub before gently plopping the cub down into the bubbly water.

"How's it feel lil' buddy? Is it too hot?" He asked in concern while leaning over the edge of the tub.

Tails' face relaxed almost instantly upon entering the soothingly warm bath. He sat happily in the chest high water as his arms floated to the surface, cupping the bubbles in his palm to look at like any other four year old.

"It feels so nice…" He responded with a small smile, easing the concerned expression on Sonic's features. "…I haven't had a bath like this in a long time, thank you, Sonic," He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall in tranquility.

Sonic smiled at the sight as he stood back up and turned around. "You don't have to thank me for everything, ya know?" He said simply with one final glance. "I'll be in the living room when you finish."

The door shut with a quiet thud leaving Tails alone once more.

* * *

Sonic sighed as he kicked his feet onto the table and lazily switched the TV on. In a flash, the screen lit up in a wide array of colors. He stared absentmindedly at the changing images while flicking through the channels in no particular order.

 _Well, at least he seems to be taking it better than I expected…_ He thought, leaning his head back to look at the ceiling. _But I still can't help but feel like he's not telling me something…_

After their discussion yesterday, Sonic was scared that he might've gone too far with his restrictions on what Tails could and could not do. That fear, however, had been alleviated this morning when he went to check on the fox, but upon doing so, another fear came to take its place. The fear that Tails actually was hiding something. And judging from the feeling he got, it was something big.

Now that he thought about it, ever since he met the cub approximately a week ago, Tails had always acted independently, never needing Sonic to do anything for him and always keeping his thoughts to himself. The few times he did ask for something, it was either for something very minimal or for permission to do something himself. The only big request he asked for was the one to never abandon him. Other than that, there wasn't really anything notable.

 _It's probably because he's been on his own for so long that he's like this._ Sonic pondered while staring grimly out a window. _He's always doing things by himself, and even helping me when I don't ask for it._ He thought, remembering all the things Tails did for him.

 _But why does he do it? If he doesn't trust me enough to tell me what he's feeling, why does he try and help me so much?_ He began to wonder as he made his way into the kitchen. _It doesn't make any sense…don't people usually stay away from the ones they don't trust?_

His hand reached into the fridge and pulled out a can of soda. He sighed and proceeded to sip silently from the drink. _Ugh, if only I didn't push away all my friends, then maybe I could understand this stuff better._

After minutes of wandering the kitchen to see what was in stock, he began to make his way back to the living room. Just as he made his way back to the couch and sat down, the sound of a door opening reminded him of what the little kitsune had been doing during his musings.

"Wow, your fur must've been really dirty, I can barely recognize you!" Sonic exclaimed with a grin as Tails appeared in the hallway.

"Yeah, I guess so!" The young fox replied, equally as happy as the blue hedgehog that he went and sat by. "I haven't felt this clean in a long time!"

The murky-yellow color that formerly adorned most of his entire body had been replaced by golden-yellow fur that was further complimented by the sun's rays. His greyish white chest and muzzle had also drastically changed and were now whiter than the very snow that surrounded the house on all sides.

"Guess you were just really muddy after all, the black circles under your eyes are completely gone!" Sonic said gladly while leaning forwards just to make sure of that. _Guess he wasn't lying to me after all!_ He thought. "Sorry I doubted you lil' buddy."

"It's alright Sonic." Tails replied with a small smile, scratching the back of his head. "You had a good reason to not trust what I said, especially after what happened yesterday."

Sonic scooted closer to the fox and placed an arm over Tails' shoulder in a one arm hug. "Yeah, but still, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that." He said, smiling at the younger kitsune. His gaze swept over the fox's body, astounded that just one bath could bring about such a major change in appearance.

A slight frown however, broke through his smile as his view landed on the tattered gloves and shoes that stood out greatly with their worn and outdated appearance.

"We're gonna have to buy you some new clothes soon." He stated, eyeing the fox's dirtied gloves and shoes.

Tails frowned and suddenly became self-aware of the condition of his gloves. His eyes looked up at Sonic as a small smile found its way onto his features. "You don't have to do that Sonic; I can still use the ones I have."

"Don't worry about it bud, I don't mind spending a bit of money." Sonic grinned reassuringly, not letting go of the opportunity to get the little fox out of the house. "How bout we go tomorrow? That sound okay with you?"

"Uhm, I don't know if that's a good Idea…" Tails said with a sigh.

"Hm? Whaddya mean by that?" Sonic asked, although he already had a pretty good idea what this was about.

Tails turned his head to the side and silently swished his tails around in a circular motion, confirming what Sonic had already perceived was the problem.

"Tails, I know you're scared that people will make fun of you for your extra tail, but can you please give it a try? It's a different city with different people. They're not gonna hate you when they don't even know you."

The young kitsune only shook his head, unconvinced. "You don't know that Sonic. What if they hate me even more than West Side City? Or what if they hate you for taking care of me? I don't want to ruin your life too."

Sonic took a mental note of the last words Tails said, curious as to what the kitsune meant but opted to save it for later. "They're not gonna hate you just for having an extra tail you know. Besides, they don't have any reason to hate you, especially not if your with me."

 _They will have a reason if I stay with you._

Tails' eyes widened at the unexpected and uninvited thought, an action which did not go unnoticed by the blue hedgehog at his side.

"Tails? Is something wrong?" Sonic quickly asked.

The small fox held a hand to his head and turned towards Sonic with a faint smile. "No, nothing's wrong, just, I have a little headache." He said, feigning discomfort.

 _What was that?_ Tails thought as Sonic eyed him with a worried glance. _Why do I keep hearing voices? I heard them when I was taking a bath too, but those were good thoughts. Maybe it is because I haven't slept in a few days…_ He wondered, recounting all the things that had happened in the past week.

"Tails, you sure you're alright?" Sonic quietly asked once again.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I mean, we can talk about that another day if you'd like." Sonic sighed a little dejectedly and shifted most of his attention back towards the TV. "I guess I might've gotten a little too carried away with the idea…sorry about that."

Tails looked on worriedly as the hedgehog's expression dampened a bit. _No…now Sonic thinks that I got a headache because of him!_ He berated himself for causing the current situation. _I have to do something…but what?_

The two friends sat silently in the little amount of comfort that the TV show brought. Neither of them said a word, fearing that whatever they wanted to say would only make the situation worse. Tails twiddled his thumbs in thought; an action he didn't ever remember doing since a very long time ago.

 _I really don't want to go to the city, but what if he's right? I know he wouldn't ever do anything bad to me, at least, I hope not. But all he's done so far is help…and what have I done?_

 _I can't let him feel guilty about this, it is my fault after all._ With that thought, Tails took a deep breath and turned around to face the blue hedgehog. His hand lifted off the couch and gently tapped Sonic's shoulder, earning his attention.

"Sonic, I-I…." He began nervously before taking another deep breath to steady his words. "I thought about it a little and, I think I'll at least try going to the city once and see if…what you said is true." He finished a bit unsurely.

Sonic however looked surprised to see the fox cub willingly asking to go to the quite populated city despite all the things that had happened in his past. He cocked his eyebrow up before replying, "You sure about that Tails? I don't want to force you into doing something you don't want to, especially if it involves a bunch of people surrounding us inside of a big city where-"

His questioning ramblings were brought to a stop when Tails suddenly stood up on the couch and enveloped the older hedgehog in an unexpected hug.

Sonic's mouth gaped open at the sudden move. He felt the fox's short arms wrap themselves around his torso as the kitsune's white muzzle buried itself in the soft blue fur of his shoulder. Diligently, Sonic returned the comforting hug, an indistinct feeling of happiness washing over him.

"I'm sure about this, Sonic." The sound of Tails' voice brought him back out of his temporary stasis. "After all that you've done for me, I need to do something for you too."

Sonic let out a small chuckle at the fox's ever-giving attitude. "Only if you really want to, besides, I told you already that you don't have to give me anything."

"Of course I do! You deserve more than this." Tails slowly released himself from the warming hug and let a small smile grace his features. "Besides, if you keep giving things to me, you'll run out of things to give, and I don't want to let that happen."

"Well, if you really want to, I guess we can go." Sonic happily stated as a grin appeared on his face. "So, when do ya wanna go?"

Tails' expression faltered a bit as the hedgehog once again missed his explanation's alternative implication, but nonetheless, he kept smiling and continued on. "Well…at the rate it's healing at, I think my head will stop hurting enough so we can go in about…five days?" He said, scratching his chin in thought.

"That sounds good to me." Sonic sighed contently, leaning back against the couch and looking over at Tails with a relieved grin. The fox only looked back at him with the same, small smile that always adorned his little face.

"You're the best friend I've ever had, y'know that?" He continued, bringing a surprised look to the kitsune's visage. That expression was quickly replaced by one of confusion as Tails stared at him in disbelief.

Seeing that the fox was once again mulling over past thoughts, Sonic ruffled the three bangs that were uncovered by bandages, which in turn, brought Tails back out of his cerebration before a bad memory could resurface.

"As long as you're with me, I ain't gonna let you keep zoning out like that, especially not if you're thinking bout the past all the time." Sonic stated with a grin. "Now, how about we do something fun after all that boring talk?"

Tails blinked a few times as he gradually refocused on the present. "Uhm…okay, what do you wanna do?" He asked curiously.

Before the kitsune could even realize what was happening, a pair of hands pulled him up and quickly placed him on his back, and, not a moment later, a soft tingly feeling began to originate from the back of his neck. His eyes widened as Sonic began to tickle the back of his neck with one hand and his belly with the other.

"SOHOHOHONHIHIC!" Tails managed to say during his intense bouts of giggling. "WHAHAHAHAHAAAHHA!"

Sonic's grin threatened to split his muzzle as the fox's laughter only propelled the speed of his fingers to go faster. "What?" He asked playfully. "I just wanna have some fun with my _new_ little best friend!"

The little kitsune tried to use his hands to protect against the childish attack but Sonic just tickled other spots on his chest. "SOHOHOHNIHIC! STAHAHAHAHAHHOHAHP!"

"Sorry Tails, but I gotta cheer you up somehow!" Sonic said, struggling to keep his hold on the squirming kitsune as Tails twisted and turned in all directions.

"PLEHEHAHAHAHAHAHEAHESEHEHESSSSHAHA!" Tails cackled as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Sonic grinned merrily at the happily laughing kitsune, realizing that this was the first time he'd ever seen him that happy.

The tickling went on for another minute before Sonic noticed that Tails had been laughing so much he couldn't even raise his arms to defend himself anymore. Seeing that the fox was at his limit, Sonic stopped his tickle attack and smiled as the fox gradually stopped squirming and panted heavily in the open air.

"Heh, sorry if I overdid it a bit." Sonic said sheepishly, never letting go of the smile on his face.

Tails gasped longingly for air as he lay his back against the hedgehog's chest with a happy expression. "…heehee…that…was…so…much…fun."

"Hehe, glad you liked it, best friend!" Sonic responded, happy that the fox was in a good mood. His arms wrapped comfortably around the little cub as he rested his chin on Tails' head.

"…you're the…best…best friend…I've ever had." The cub gasped as he slowly regained his breath.

"Heh…you're the best best friend I've ever had too." Sonic said, smiling longingly and nuzzling his chin against the fox's head. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

The sound of a train whistle blew calmingly in the distance. Trudging slowly through a nearby forest were the forms of a blue hedgehog and a little twin tailed fox. The two walked silently through the forest, the only sound being the crunching of snow beneath them. Sonic firmly held Tails' hand in his own, though, due to their height differences, Tails had to raise his hand slightly above his head just to reach the blue hedgehog's grasp. To anyone who saw the duo, it would look like the fox was being unwillingly pulled along by the hedgehog.

"Don't worry Tails, I'll be right beside you for everything." Sonic said reassuringly to the fox cub that trudged silently beside him. The bandages that had adorned the fox's small head five days ago had all but been removed, leaving behind a light purple bruise on his forehead. Despite Sonic constantly asking if he'd rather wear the bandages for a few more days, Tails assured that he was perfectly fine without the uncomfortable dressings.

"…I trust you Sonic." The little yellow fox responded, bringing a smile to his best friend's face. Over the course of the five days, the two best friends had stayed with each other for the entire time, partly due to Sonic's new rules, but mostly for one simple reason. After becoming accustomed to the other's presence every day since the day they met, it became difficult to separate from the other for long. Sonic because he preferred the conversations they shared to the long silence that he spent training for the past few years, and Tails because he simply liked talking to his new best friend.

"Then there's nothing to be afraid of." Sonic said with a grin.

But even with the reassurance, Tails knew that that was far from the truth. There were many things he was afraid of.

The train whistle blew again, closer this time. The two hurried their pace as the station came into view. And luckily for the twin tailed fox, not many people were on it.

Tails gripped his hand tighter with Sonic's as the two boarded the spacious train compartment. A few eyes rose to look at the newcomers, lingering for a few seconds before returning to their previous actions. The train lurched forward without another thought just as Tails climbed onto one of the seats and sat down.

 _They won't have a reason to hate me if I don't give them one._

Powering himself with that single thought, the little yellow fox exhaled slowly as he stared at the passing scenery outside, calming him to a degree. Not a word was spoken by the passengers. But there didn't need to be. His senses were already running rampant and fabricating voices from days of not sleeping.

The train ride passed quickly, a little too quickly in fact for the nervous fox. The train dully screeched to a stop. The window-fitted doors slid open, prompting the duo to stand back up and slowly begin their trek to the bustling platform where figures could be seen going about their daily routines.

"I'll be right beside you." Sonic's voice said but it did little to soothe the anxious thoughts in his mind. Soon, the duo had passed the barrier between civilizations, allowing the full extent of the sun's rays to shower them in its light, which Tails gladly used as an excuse to shut his eyes from the malevolent sight.

But even with his eyes closed, he could feel them. The stares as they walked by. The shocked expressions on their faces. He could feel them all.

 _They hate you._ A voice said inside his head. _They hate you just like West Side Island did._

 _Stop saying that, you don't know if that's even true!_

 _Of course it's true! Who wouldn't hate a defec-_

"Tails!"

Another voice suddenly broke him out of his argument as his eyes snapped open.

"You alright? You sorta zoned out for a bit." He heard, seeing Sonic's concerned face looking down at him.

"Hhm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

 _But you're not_

 _Shut up!_

 _Ohoohoo, big words for a kid, don't you think?_

"Alright…well, let's get going then."

His legs moved on autopilot as he gripped tightly onto Sonic's hand.

 _Look, they're watching you._

His head tilted upwards, an action he immediately regretted.

 _They're ALL watching you…_

 _No!_ Tails rapidly shook his head and wiped his eyes with his free hand.

 _Oh…it was just my eyes again…_

Sure enough, the trained eyes of the masses had been replaced by the backs of their heads. Tails sighed in relief as his eyes scanned the crowd for anyone that seemed to be looking at him.

 _Whew…nobody seems to have noticed me._

 _Yet._

"Tails, we're here!" Sonic's voice called once again. Tails refocused his eyes and found the hedgehog staring worriedly down at him. "You haven't said much today, is something wrong?"

He mumbled a few incoherent words that were drowned out by the bustling crowds.

"Look Tails, I know you're scared, but if anything goes wrong, I can get us out of here in no time." But his words did little to comfort the anxious kitsune.

"I know Sonic, and I trust you, but I can't help but feel…" He trailed off, unsure of whether to continue speaking or not. "…like I don't belong here…"

A moment later he felt himself being pulled into a hug by the hedgehog. His eyes stared blankly out at the people, seemingly not even recognizing the comforting gesture.

"…Wherever I belong, so do you, best friend." He heard him say before retracting from the warming hug. "Now come on, it's warmer in the store."

His feet shuffled lazily against the frozen snow kicking up small mounds into piles. The snow soon transformed into wood and carpet as hot air suddenly washed over him from above. The wind stopped, replaced by the distant sounds of smooth jazz.

"So, which one do ya like?" Sonic asked in an attempt to cheer up the expressionless cub. Before them was a towering wall, lined with shoes of all colors and sizes ranging from baby sneakers to Godzilla boots.

Tails stared at the wall with mild interest, having rarely seen or smelt anything like this in his lifetime. His eyes wandered to the shoes closer to his size.

 _He's testing you, seeing how much money you use and then kicking you out just like your 'old' caretakers!_

He furrowed his brows as the voice reappeared with another outlandish thought.

 _Sonic wouldn't do that, we're best friends!_

 _If he really was your 'best friend', then how come he hasn't noticed that you haven't slept for the past week?_

 _Shut up! Sonic's my best friend! He's just a little…dense, actually, extremely dense…he just can't tell when there's something wrong, that's all._

 _Can't tell? Or doesn't care?_

"Tails please stop zoning out like that!" Sonic said as he laid a hand on the little kitsune's shoulder. Tails looked up in surprise and quickly snapped out of his thoughts for the umpteenth time that day. "If you do that one more time, I'm gonna have to tickle ya once we get back!"

Tails shivered a bit at the thought, knowing that the hedgehog was brutally serious with the childish threat. It was one of the things he did whenever Tails started acting sad around him, albeit, the cub could barely speak afterwards, but it did the trick.

"Uhm…I'll have that one…" Tails stated while pointing at the cheapest pair of shoes available that were still his size. A pair of green and white sneakers that looked absolutely disgusting. "…if you don't mind…of course."

"Tails, I told you I don't mind spending a bit of money, now go ahead and pick one you really like…and not as hideous."

A small chuckle escaped his parted lips at the response. Leave it to Sonic to find a way to make him laugh even in his current situation.

"Okay Sonic…how aboutttt…that one?" His finger pointed towards a pair of red and white shoes that looked almost identical to Sonic's, not overly expensive, but not dirt cheap either.

"Hehe, good choice lil' buddy!"

Tails followed Sonic as the two made their way to the checkout line. Along the way, they picked up a new pair of white gloves before stopping at a line of winter jackets.

"How's this one Tails? You like it?" Sonic asked while plucking a small blue jacket off its hook.

"You don't have to buy that for me Sonic…" Tails said earnestly regarding the jacket. "My fur is enough to keep me warm in the winter."

"You've never been here during the winter have you? It gets real cold, and right now's just the beginning of it too." Sonic responded. "I already have a jacket for myself at home, and I don't care how much you argue, if you get a cold, it'll be my fault. You getting a cold especially while you're still so young would be dangerous."

Before he could even open his mouth and argue, Sonic had already rushed over to the checkout line, grinning at him enthusiastically. Tails sighed and reluctantly followed the speedster.

The sounds of the bustling store receded to the backs of his senses, allowing his eyes to look tiredly out of the large store windows. It had been far too long since he last visited the innards of a city. Usually, everybody would yell words he didn't even know at him and throw whatever junk they could find just to make him leave. Here however, it was drastically different. Though many of them still stared at his twin tails, none (as of yet) had bad mouthed or harmed him in any way.

 _Maybe Sonic was right, this city is different!_

 _Don't be fooled! The moment he isn't with you, you'll be kicked out again!_

Tails gnawed his teeth in slight frustration upon hearing the irritating voice again.

 _Why don't you just shut up and leave me alone?_

 _I'm just looking out for you Tails!_

 _How? By telling me that I'm just a worthless kid?_

 _No! Well, yeah, but not exactly. Look, you're tired, you can't think straight, and you're having hallucinations! Go take a nap before you regret something._

 _I can't just go take a nap! Sonic's been watching me even closer ever since the accident I had in his workshop, there's no way I can leave long enough!_

 _Just go at night!_

 _I can't even see clearly in the day anymore! It's like I'm looking through someone else's glasses! What makes you think I'll do better at night?_

 _Oh for crying out loud! Just run away from him! It'll do you both good!_

 _No way! I'm not leaving him!_

 _But I thought you cared about him! Why wouldn't you leave when you're a danger to his life?!_

 _I'm not dangerous to him! As long as I don't fall asleep near him, things will work out!_

 _Go to sleep! You aren't thinking straight!_

 _I'm just fine! Sonic-_

"Tails!"

"Huh?"

"Tails, what is with you today?!" His eyes blinked twice, refocusing enough to see the looming figure of a blue hedgehog looking bewilderedly at him. "You've been zoning out all day! Is there something goin on that you wanna tell me?"

"Wha…uhh…" Tails quickly looked around to find an alibi out of his situation. "Well…I am a little hungry after the trip here, and I guess that pizza shop across the street looked really good."

Sonic gave him a tough stare while Tails wondered whether the hedgehog believed him or not this time. The discerning expression was soon replaced by a smile as Sonic placed a hand over the fox's head and ruffled his hair.

 _He believes that?!_

"Well, why didn't ya just say so lil' buddy?" Sonic said, grinning. "I was starting to feel a little hungry myself, how bout we head over and grab a bite to eat?"

"Uh, yeah, sure thing Sonic!" Tails replied, snapping out of his stupor.

The duo walked towards the exit, during which Sonic handed the newly bought clothes to Tails to put on.

"Better put those on before we go back out, the winds starting to pick up." The hedgehog reasoned, waiting for Tails to finish swapping his outfit and placing the old shoes and gloves in a bag.

Sure enough, the wind instantly circled them with its frosty embrace before the two could fully make it out the doorway.

"Wow, we must've spent more time shopping than I thought! There are barely anymore people out here!" Looking around, they could see only a few people braving through the sunny winds, which was good news for the twin tailed fox if his smile gave any indication.

Even though the wind further impacted his vision, he could clearly tell where to walk and avoided the ice patches that spotted the ground, following Sonic all the while.

After trudging through a couple streets of snow, they arrived at a pizza shop and quickly stepped in, grateful for the warm air and protection from the wind.

"Anything specific you want to eat?" Sonic asked after they got seated at a cushioned booth against a wall. The waiter, who recognized Sonic, promptly gave them both a menu, albeit, Tails received a kid's menu much to his dismay. The little fox crawled under the table and popped back up on the other side, opting to sit next to his best friend.

"Nope, I'll just have whatever you have." Tails replied, though Sonic had already expected that answer.

"Sure thing bud." Sonic agreed before the waiter returned to take their order and left afterwards. "You sure there's nothing bothering you?"

Tails refocused his attention on the blue hedgehog, having zoned out again while Sonic spoke to the waiter. His hand waved sheepishly in the air as he spoke. "Don't worry Sonic, I'm fine."

 _No you're not._

 _Shut up!_

 _I'm trying to help you!_

 _I don't need help!_

 _Yes you do!_

 _Just shut up! Get out of my hea-_

"Wha?!" His eyes suddenly widened as he felt a rough pair of knuckles rub painfully against the top of his head. "Sonic?! Wha-What are you doing?" He asked while struggling to pry the blue hedgehog's chokehold off his neck.

"You were spacing out again Tails!" He heard Sonic reply while giving him a painful noogie.

"Owww! You can stop now!" Tails harshly stated, his attempts to get out of the hold not working.

"Not until you promise not to do it again." Sonic said with a grin, but he at least lessened the force that went into the noogie.

"What?!"

"You heard me Tails."

The top of his head ached agonizingly now. _Does he even realize how hard he's doing it?!_ Tails wondered.

"Say it! Unless you want me to tickle you again!"

Tails' eyes widened at the statement and strained his throat against the hold.

"I-I promise I won't do it again!" He sputtered out with a cough. Immediately, the hedgehog let go of his hold causing Tails to collapse on his back, tightly shutting his eyes while rubbing the top of his aching head.

"Good, that wasn't so hard was it?" Sonic asked with a grin. After a few moments without a reply, he looked down in slight worry at the fox. "Tails?"

The little kitsune only whimpered in reply, not even opening his eyes to look up at the hedgehog

"Tails, you okay?"

"Did you have to do it that hard?" Tails groaned while slowly sitting back up, one hand rubbing the top of his head while the other wiped his eye, and under them, Sonic could see a very small tear form before it too was wiped away.

 _He's crying?!_ He thought in confusion and disbelief. _But I wasn't even using that much strength! Is it because he's still a kid that he feels more pain?_

He met Tails' gaze with his own, the fox seemingly glaring at him while he didn't even know what to say. _No, Tails can take hits a lot stronger than that, that's for sure. I've even seen him get beat up way worse than I've ever been injured fighting Robotnik, there's no way he can't endure a little noogie. But if that's true then…what's wrong?_

Sonic sighed and pulled Tails into a loose hug, though, as expected, the fox did not return it.

"Tails, I didn't know it would hurt that much." Sonic said, finding it a tad bit ridiculous and skeptical that he was apologizing over a noogie. "…I'm sorry, okay? Do you forgive me?"

Tails let out his own sigh, not wanting to stay mad at the only person that cared about him. "…It's alright Sonic…I forgive you."

 _Something_ _ **is**_ _wrong._ Sonic realized while turning his head away as the waiter returned and gave them their food. _He's been thinking a lot more than usual for the past few days, and judging by his expression, it can't be about anything good. He even sounded a little mad after the noogie I gave him…_

He watched as Tails lightly bit into a slice of pizza. _He said he was hungry, but he's not even eating that fast. First he was just spacing out, then the thing with the pizza shop, and now he's lost his appetite?_

Sonic reached forward and grabbed his own slice of pizza, all the while keeping his eye on the fox.

… _Tails…just what are you hiding from me?_


	9. The Bestest Friend

Brother of Mine

This chapter took a lot longer to make than I thought it would, and it's a hell lot longer too. That being said, I did have a lot of fun writing it. Sorry for the long chapter length! Thank you to all those who read/review/favorite/follow this story! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 9: The Bestest Friend

Sonic was about as sharp as a marble when it came to understanding feelings, and he knew that. All his life whenever he felt down he would go on a run and simply forget all his problems. Now, however, he was faced with something he very well couldn't run from. One that was proving to be far more challenging than he originally anticipated, and yet, somehow he was putting up with it.

Children.

"There's nothing wrong Sonic." Tails stated blandly with a half-smile, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets as he strode wearily alongside his best friend.

"Alright, if there's nothing wrong then _why_ are you acting so weird?" Sonic queried once again in impatience. His face muscles felt like they were about to fall off from his constant frowning, which, if he was brutally honest, had never felt this sore in his entire life.

"What do you mean weird? I'm perfectly fine."

"You're hiding something from me Tails, and I need to know what it is." Sonic urged, feeling his patience growing thinner with every answer. He _really_ should have kept his friends, or at least had someone to talk to, to learn how to fix situations like these. "I want to help you Tails, but I can't if you don't trust me enough to tell me what's wrong."

Tails heaved a long sigh. "I get it Sonic, and I do trust you, but there's really nothing wrong with me."

Sonic held a hand up to message his temple in frustration. Ever since the two left the pizza shop, very few words were spoken between them which was mostly at fault to the twin tailed fox walking along beside him. Whenever he made an attempt at conversation, Tails would either give the shortest response possible, or not reply at all. To say Sonic was reaching his limit with the kid would be a massive understatement.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, he continued, "I don't wanna have to yell at you again Tails."

"Then don't."

Sonic subconsciously felt his eye begin to twitch again at the fox's seemingly impassive attitude towards the situation. "Tails please, something's bothering you and I need to know what it is!" He pushed on, unknowingly pressing his shoes down harder while he walked.

"Nothing's bothering me Sonic."

The sound of his red-white sneakers squelching in the compact snow suddenly came to a halt. Sonic watched as Tails continued walking ahead for a few steps before he too stopped and slowly turned around to face the blue hedgehog, curiously looking at him with his eyelids half open.

"Don't lie to me Tails." Sonic said authoritatively, furrowing his brows at the motionless kitsune. "I've noticed how you've been acting for the past few days, so I know you're not happy, but I just want to know why."

Tails lifted an eyebrow at the statement. "What makes you think I'm unhappy?" He asked while walking back to the hedgehog.

"Well for starters, you barely smile anymore. Most of the time you're either zoning out or thinking about something with this tired look on your face, and you don't even talk as much as you did a few days ago! You never even look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you." Sonic continued, crossing his arms in an attempt to show his frustration. "I don't know bout you, but those are some _pretty_ good clues if you ask me."

His emerald eyes stared rigidly at his best friend's slumped head, waiting for him to fess up and just admit that something was wrong. A few silent moments passed before Tails tilted his head up and opened his mouth to speak.

"…and _that's_ why you think I'm sad?" He asked in a hushed voice.

"Well, yeah." Sonic replied as if it were obvious, though honestly, he just hoped Tails didn't throw out another dead end answer.

But the little fox only let out his own sigh before looking at the hedgehog with a downcast smile. "Sonic, I don't know how else to tell you this so you'll believe me, but I'm not sad."

And, there it was, again.

"Ughh, but Tails!" Sonic groaned. "All the things you've been doing, like dragging your feet when you walk, and staring at nothing for no reason, that must mean something is up, right?" Sonic said in a way that made it sound more like a statement rather than a question without a hint of uncertainty. His eyes stared down into Tails' sky blue ones, desperately searching for any indication but found none.

Tails shook his head, as if he knew what Sonic was trying to do. "I know you probably won't believe me when I say it, but right now, I'm the happiest I've ever been in a long time." The little fox muttered with a small smile, pulling his hands out of his pockets and scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"But the things you've been doing, they're-"

"I know," The little fox interrupted with a little nod. "But, sometimes what you see…isn't actually what's true. I know I might not show it all the time, but I really am happy that you decided to let me live with you."

"But that's the thing Tails, I know you're grateful, but I just want to know if you're happy and okay _right now_." Sonic said almost pleadingly, wondering why little kids were so difficult to understand. It's not like he would hurt Tails if he found out that the kitsune was doing something wrong, he just wanted to help him.

"I'm fine Sonic," Tails replied without missing a beat. "Besides, why wouldn't I be? I have the bestest friend in the world with me." He finished with a happy grin.

"Hmp," Sonic grumbled, the kitsune's cheery remark finally causing most of his determination to crumble. "I'm gonna find out what's bothering you, whether you want me to or not." He stated firmly while placing a hand on his hip. Of course, he wasn't exactly sure how he was going to go about doing that just yet.

"Hau-t'here's nothin' _bothering_ me Sonic…I told that you already, so please stop…hau-worrying about me," Tails said, exhaling while biting his lip and holding a hand up to his mouth.

"Yeah yeah whatever you say…" Sonic murmured after rolling his eyes. "Let's just get back home; it's startin to get cold out here."

And, as Sonic predicted beforehand, the remainder of their walk back to his house had been purely uneventful. He knew that Tails wasn't much of a talker to begin with, but this really was starting to get ridiculous. With each passing day he noticed the kitsune seemed to be speaking less and less which was definitely not a good sign, especially in four year old kids that were normally known throughout Mobius to be infinitely tireless.

But then again, Tails was anything _but_ a normal four year old kid.

Upon arriving at the small two story building, the little fox had immediately climbed up on the couch in exhaustion. Not surprising to the speedster hedgehog, considering the cub's small stature and the fact that they've been walking almost constantly throughout the day, so he decided to let the kid rest a bit.

That wasn't to say he wouldn't ask about it though.

Taking a seat beside the half-awake kitsune, Sonic took another chance at getting Tails to slip up and reveal what was truly bothering him.

"You seem pretty tired, are ya sure ya got enough sleep last night?" Sonic asked nonchalantly as to not arouse suspicion.

"I already told you Sonic, it's probably just the dirt from fixing up your things." Tails replied without even moving a muscle to look at the hedgehog. "And nothing's keeping me from sleeping at night either."

Annnd…he was already caught. He didn't say anything about the dark circles under the kitsune's eyes yet Tails somehow knew that's what he was going to say next. It always bemused Sonic whenever the four year old did that, as if the cub knew what he was going to do before he even did it.

Sonic sighed and simply leaned back on the couch, not finding any reason to continue on with that conversation. It annoyed him how Tails always managed to find an infallible excuse out of everything that Sonic asked him, including why the black circles under his eyes had ( _strangely_ ) reappeared a few days ago.

Though he still didn't know why the markings returned, they did however wash away every time Tails took a bath. This combined with the fact that from time to time he gave the cub some small scaled machinery (usually a remote, a monitor, a speaker, or something of the sort) to play and entertain himself with, lead to Tails' main excuse for the black circles under his eyes. Part of him didn't want to believe the simple excuse given, but part of him wanted to trust the cub at the same time. The kitsune went through a lot in the past already, and Sonic didn't feel it necessary to build onto those memories.

But right now it seemed like their relationship was at an uncomfortable standstill. If he didn't know any better, he would think that Tails was starting to lose interest in him. He hated how distant they became over the past several days. Before that, they would talk all day about whatever random things that popped into their minds, but now it was just…eh. He was supposed to be Tails' new caretaker yet they acted as if they were measly acquaintances in a college dorm room. But none of it was his fault was it? It was _Tails_ that was acting weird so suddenly, and Sonic couldn't think of anything he had done to cause the fox cub to behave that way.

An abrupt poke to his shoulder brought him back to reality, as he quickly sat back up and noticed Tails on all fours, looking at him curiously with an outstretched finger. Sonic lifted an eyebrow, readjusting his position to be one of more comfort before asking, "What is it bud?"

"Sonic look! There's somethin weird goin on with the TV." Tails responded surprisingly zestfully as he sat back down and pointed towards the television in the corner that Sonic hadn't even realized had been turned on.

A news headline stood out vibrantly on the bottom of the screen as a camera panned across a certain image that made Sonic's blood run cold.

" _-an attack currently taking place led by none other than Dr. Robotnik. There have been no reported fatalities as of yet, however many have been injured. GUN has responded and have begun to mobilize their forc-_ "

Sonic silently cursed under his breath so as to not be loud enough for Tails to hear it. His eyes stared vividly at the bottom of the screen, recognizing the name of the city as soon as it flashed across the footer.

"Hey Tails…" He began, remembering the rules he laid out. "I got a few errands to run and cause I can't leave you alone in the house anymore, you're gonna have to spend a little time at the daycare back in the city." He finished quickly, hoping the little kitsune didn't have an irrational fear of daycares as well.

Tails whirled his head around, his outstretched arm hanging in mid motion as he looked at Sonic in a mixture of surprise and dread.

"Sonic please! I promise I won't do anything bad!" He begged while leaning forward. In just a second Tails had transformed from a quiet, timid fox to an anxious and eccentric child.

"No can do Tails, still can't trust ya, remember?" Sonic shook his head solemnly and stood up.

"Then just take me with you!"

Sonic felt his heart twist upon seeing the distressed look on Tails' face but managed to steel his resolve and brush past it. "Well," he began, tilting an eyebrow at potential opportunity, "if you tell me what's wrong then I _might_ reconsider."

"But there's nothing wrong!" Tails blurted out.

"Then I can't take you." Sonic promptly finished.

"But…but," The cub looked up at him with big blue eyes as he stood up on the couch. "But you're my best friend!"

Sonic looked questionably at the fox's sudden interest in him when a minute ago they barely looked at each other. "Tails please, it'll only be for a few hours. It's just that I gotta go do something and you can't come with me."

"But I don't wanna go there! I wanna stay with you!" With an unexpected jump, Tails lunged off the couch and clung onto the blue hedgehog, hugging him with all his might…which wasn't much to begin with as he began to lose grip and fall down.

Sonic recovered from the initial surprise and quickly but gently lifted the two tailed cub into his arms. "Sorry Tails, you don't really have a choice this time. I promise I won't take long."

In a blur the duo raced out of the house and disappeared into the forest, the cries of a twin tailed fox trailing wretchedly behind them.

* * *

"…is this punishment for not talking as much?" Tails muttered dejectedly while staring plainly off to the side.

"No, it's to keep you safe while I'm gone."

"…but I'll be safer with you." Though truthfully, a nagging feeling told him that that wasn't entirely the case.

"Tails, please, you have to trust me on this one," His best friend stated with a hint of…frustration? Perhaps, but it was hard for him to discern, after all, he wasn't as adept to that 'emotion' as much as other's. "Alright, found where the daycare is." He heard before the scenery around them practically morphed into a swirl of blurs that shot past his face at the speed of sound.

Not a second later, everything resumed definite form…well, other than his vision that is.

"Ughh…" Tails groaned once more feeling like the world was on the very center of a spin top. His body and eyesight spiraled erratically (the fact that he couldn't see very well due to sleeplessness didn't help at all) as he pushed himself out of the hedgehog's grasp and collapsed onto the snow-covered asphalt. "…please… warn me next time you- _blugh-…_ do that…" He gasped while holding a hand to his mouth and stomach.

"Ehm…sorry, I guess, but I needed to hurry up." Sonic replied in…agitation? "Besides, you seemed to be fine after last time." He leant down and helped the nauseas fox to his feet.

"…yeah but there weren't _nearly_ as many- _blugrh-…_ turns...to do in the forest." Tails mumbled shakily. He definitely did _not_ have the energy for this right now.

"That's…actually true. Here, let's get you inside so you can sit down." He heard Sonic say before helping him walk into the daycare centre.

The door squeaked noisily as it opened prompting him to hold a hand up to his ear to shield out the irritating sound. Through blurred eyes and dimmed lights, he could faintly see the brown blob of a desk directly in front of him and the large…creature that sat behind it.

"Hello dearies, what can I do for you today?" The creature spoke with a kind, soft voice leading Tails to the conclusion that it was most definitely feminine.

"Hey, uh, I was wondering if I could leave my buddy Tails here for a bit while I go and do somethin?" Sonic spoke quickly as if he really had to pee but the bathroom was clogged. Wait, what kind of comparison was that?

"Yes, of course. I'll just need a name and method of payment dearie." Aside from being female, there wasn't much else he could tell about her, including what kind of Mobian she was.

"Sonic the Hedgehog and I'll pay with mobiums, oh yeah, how much will that be?"

"What was your name sweetie?" Tails was forced to cover his ears to drown out the lady's raised voice. He _absolutely_ didn't have enough energy for this. "You'll have to speak up, I don't hear as well as I used to." Well, at least it muffled the volume to an adequate level.

"You don't know me?" Sonic asked, sounding a little surprised. "Ah well, anyway, the name's Sonic the Hedgehog."

Huh, Sonic never told him his full name before. Hedgehog huh? What a weird last name. It almost made him proud to have the last name Prower.

"Hey Tails," He blinked. Sonic was looking down at him curiously. Tails quickly lowered his hands from their protective positioning so he could hear the blue hedgehog. "It's time for me to go."

He sighed and flattened his ears, having already accepted that this would happen. Besides, running away didn't seem like a very appealing option anymore, considering how much his lunch wanted to come bursting out like an overflown water slide.

Tails let out a slight huff. "…okay, you can go…I guess…just, come back quick okay? I wanna stay with you…" He said in a barely audible voice.

He heard Sonic take a deep breath before he felt a hand ruffle through his wind-frayed hair. "Don't worry lil' buddy, I'll always come back."

And with a sudden jet of air accompanied by a squeaking door, he had left.

"You have a very nice friend," The lady spoke after a moment. "…or, is it, adopted father? Son? Brother? Oh rats! I forgot to ask for his relationship with you." The temporary-caretaker lightly hit her fist against the desk in what appeared to be frustration. "You don't mind telling me, do you?"

He stood silent, not exactly comfortable with the prospect of being left alone with a complete and utter stranger.

"Come on honey, don't be shy. I just need to know what he is to you."

More silence.

"...sweetie, you can trust me, it's not like I can use it for anything, I just need to fill it in for the records."

 _You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you._

Tails shivered at the memory. How many times had he heard it? And how many of his words had been used against him? Oh right, _all of them_. Might as well remain silent then, if it wasn't Sonic then he wasn't talking.

"Not much of a talker are you little one? That's fine; I'll just ask him when he returns. You can run along into the other rooms and go play now, just remember to ask me if you need anything."

The feminine creature lounged back in her chair, if the loud, annoying creek gave any indication. The house settled until it was quiet and seemed to emanate a low droning sound, one that originated deeper within the walls making him wonder just how big this place really was.

His ear twitched as they picked up on a fairly distinct noise. Kids, other kids. Oh great, he'd forgotten about the worst part of day cares, having to share _everything_ with the other children. The kids that were just a bit older than him yet still seemed to speak baby language and run around for no reason at all. He himself had outgrown that lifestyle a _long_ time ago.

Turning towards the source, Tails spotted an open door on the left wall. Quickly making up his mind that he did _not_ want to go that way, he turned around and spotted another open door on the right wall. Making sure that there were no sounds coming from that way, Tails peered into the entrance and found a sizable looking hallway that continued on after a bend.

Not wanting to stay with the strange daycare lady either, Tails slowly shuffled through the damp corridor. He had to admit the peace and quiet did feel nice, oh yeah, and not having to look behind his back every three seconds for bullies. But he couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

And then he remembered. Sonic wasn't here to enjoy it with him.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Tails let out a gaping yawn and rubbed his eyes tiredly. It wasn't that he disliked Sonic, it was just that he didn't get any sleep _at all_ for the past however-so-many days. He couldn't even yawn in front of his best friend because truthfully, Tails was beginning to running out of excuses to give and if Sonic found out what he's been doing, ohhh boy, he couldn't even imagine what would happen. Best case scenario would be being abandoned somewhat near the city so he could still scavenge some food. Worst case? Hopefully that wouldn't happen.

Strangely enough, the idea that Sonic was temporarily gone sort of relieved him in a strange way. He didn't feel happy, but then again he didn't feel as sad as he knew he should've been. Actually to be honest, he didn't really feel anything right now.

A few minutes of wandering the facility later, he found himself sitting on a soft carpet in an empty children's playroom. Some kindergarten toys were strewn around him in a messy fashion, consisting of ABC blocks, dolls, action figures, and a toy hammer that he was currently spinning pointlessly in his hands.

 _This is so boring…_ He thought while staring at the twirling hammer, wondering if kids his age were supposed to find it entertaining. The action did manage to stir a fidgety feeling within him, but that went by unnoticed due to his prevalent feeling of exhaustion.

He stood and turned on the TV in the far corner that he didn't notice was there previously. The screen lit up and as expected, displayed a children's cartoon show. A quick retouching (although hindered by the fact that he couldn't focus very well) that no other four year old could possible hope to comprehend gave him access to the 'off-limits' channels, one of which piqued his interest.

" _-In Robotnik's 97_ _th_ _attack this year. Wait! What's that?! A blue blur?! Ladies and gentlemen! Sonic the hedgehog has just arrived on scene and has instantly taken down Robotnik's carrier! With Mobius' new national hero on their side, the city may still have a fighting chance yet!"_

Well that was news. Since when was Sonic "Mobius' national hero"? Although it did explain why some people treated him differently (in a good way) than anyone else that he's seen so far, and why Sonic had to leave him here so suddenly.

" _The Badniks are dropping like swatted flies to the national hero as…Oh…what's this?! GUN has come to aid Sonic in this massive battle against Robotnik! With the two forces working together, Robotnik is being driven back and out of the city! This certainly is a-"_

Tails squealed as a pair of hands suddenly latched onto his tails. Turning, he saw a sizable bear cub with a firm grasp on each of the yellow appendages, looking at them in wonder.

"Whoaah, you have two tails!" The cub childishly stated in amazement.

Tails quickly yanked the furry extremities back behind him, much to the child's dismay and disappointment.

"Wha, what you do that for?" The bear eagerly reached over to grab them again but Tails backed away, a scowl on his face while he eyed the cub cautiously.

 _Why do kids talk like that?!_ Tails wondered in regards to the presumably five year old brown bear. An inward feeling told him that now would be a good time to book it.

"You know how to talk?" Each syllable was pronounced just so _irritably_ high pitched that the little fox questioned how _anyone_ could ever stand it. Tails plugged his ears and bolted out the door faster than the brown bear could ask another question, and ran down the hallway until he could no longer hear the cub's loud yells.

If that had happened a few years ago, Tails would have been absolutely ecstatic at the prospect of having a brand new friend. Now however, he couldn't wait to get out of this annoying place.

 _Sonic please, come back quickly,_ he wished, suddenly feeling a desire to be with him again, despite knowing that the hedgehog wouldn't be back for several hours.

So for the next hour, Tails wandered through the empty halls, hiding behind a corner whenever he heard someone coming and never once talking to anyone. Even though he had nobody to talk to, the little kitsune didn't feel particularly sad and simply chalked that up to the fact that he'd been alone for pretty much his whole life anyway.

 _More like just being dead tired._

Tails groaned as the being he dubbed 'The Voice' protruded through his thoughts again for the millionth time that day, all of which he ignored up to this point.

 _What do you want now?_

 _What I've always wanted Tails, for you to go to sleep._

 _But I can't go to sleep; I need to be away from Sonic first._

… _do you even realize what you just said?_

 _But I didn't say anything._

…

Tails suddenly widened his eyes in realization.

 _Wait! I_ _ **am**_ _away from Sonic!_

… _no kidding._

A gush of excitement coursed through the young kitsune as a smile lit up his normally dreary face.

 _That means I can go to sleep! Yess! Now I just need to find somewhere to lie down._

Turning another corner in the hallway, Tails found a door that was not locked like the other ones. Slowly pushing the crack until the door swung open wide enough to fit his head in, he then peered into the large room.

To his disappointment, it was not empty as he had hoped. A few small heads turned in his direction but only caught sight of the shutting door.

Tails rubbed his eyes again as the door closed shut, the thought of a long nap unknowingly starting to overpower his already frugal senses. Another yawn escaped his small mouth.

Turning to look around again, his eyes settled onto the doorway at the _very_ end of the hallway. By now he felt like he shouldn't even be able to move, much less walk, but nevertheless, his legs found the strength to carry him to what he hoped to be his napping place for the next several hours.

 _JMWIFOR'S GIO5FT,_ he read off the plaque near the top of the door. His eyes squinted to try and make out more letters but his blurred vision combined with the fact that he was trying to read from directly below the letters meant no success. If anything, trying to read the letters made him feel even more tired.

Deciding that he'd rather sleep now and read later, Tails performed a little hop and with his bodyweight, pulled down on the metal doorknob. To his delight, the door pushed open with little effort.

Inside the room was completely and absolutely dark, but what does that matter if he was going to sleep anyway? Slowly, he pushed the door back until it was almost-but-not-completely shut so as to let a little light into the room, opting not to lock himself in complete darkness.

And before he could even wrap himself in the comfortable embrace of his tails, he had already fallen asleep.

* * *

 _Aw man, it's already night._ Sonic thought while running back to Station Square. _I hope Tails is still okay, knowing him, but it is kinda weird how he didn't argue more…_

It had been a few hours since he left the little kit in the daycare centre while he ran off to fight Robotnik again. Thankfully no one had been killed or captured during the attack, thanks to the blue blur himself whoarrived _just_ in the nick of time when one of the transporter ships Robotnik used to store civilians had taken off. With a bit of quick thinking he managed to stop the ship in record time and freed the nearly-enslaved Mobians.

But even with the help of GUN the battle had dragged on for several hours. A few new bots proved to be a bit more challenging than the usual but were nowhere near the strength of the now out of commission Gamma. In the end, Sonic received only a few cuts and scrapes, mainly due to the fact that he didn't rest for the entire fiasco and the sheer number of robots Robotnik sent out for this one attack.

 _Guess I'm not losing my touch after all!_ Sonic thought in relief, recounting the battle at West Side Island that not only damaged his pride but his confidence as well. _He did say he was workin' on somethin big though, so Robotnik'll probably lie low for now which gives me more time to spend with Tails!_

Speaking of the little fox, Sonic could only wonder what he was up to right now. Was he playing with the other kids? Highly unlikely considering all that he's been through but there were a lot of children so it could be possible. The day care lady seemed pretty nice; so perhaps he was spending some time with her. Or he could be alone, which was evidently the most expected scenario.

Whatever Sonic was expecting however, it definitely did not include this.

Immediately after he made it into the city, something was wrong. An odd feeling gripped at his heart, similar to what he felt when Tails was upset, but this time there was no definite cause, or at least, not one he could tell right off the bat.

And then he spotted it. The lightless sky made it difficult to differentiate from black clouds, but there was no doubt about it. A thin trail of smoke crossed the sky, bellowing up in the direction of a certain crèche.

Sonic unconsciously began to run faster as an anxious feeling stirred within him. Not a minute later he arrived at the nursery, his heart skipping a beat as he skid to a complete stop, too stunned to move as he watched numerous firefighters battling against a raging inferno that consumed the building in blistering flames.

"What happened?! Where…?!" He stuttered out before a section of the house blasted forward in a booming explosion, forcing everyone present to cover their faces. Fear for the little twin tailed fox replaced all rational thoughts at the moment, and he found that each breath was harder to take in than the last.

The roar of flames and jets of water made it hard to hear anything beyond his hysteric breathing. An onlooker noticed his presence, having heard his previous question and shifted closer.

"A f-fire broke out bout an hour ago…don't know if everyone made it out, b-but those who did were sent to the hospital." The reply was shaky and uncertain which only rendered the hedgehog that much more fearful. "I pray that everyone's all right…"

Sonic grit his teeth and tore his eyes away from the anguished scene, then bolted down the street in a blaze of speed, arriving at the hospital a moment later. He frantically looked around, begging to spot the little cub but found nothing. He quickly asked the receptionist for the floor number before sprinting up the stairwell and bursting through the door onto the fourth floor.

The only sound he heard was the repeated thuds of his shoes while he ran. The colorless double doors flung open and he found himself inside a lobby room with very few occupants. His gaze leapt erratically from person to person until finally, it landed on a lonely yellow fox sitting in the corner.

"Tails!" The cub's head perked up before it was buried in a mound of blue fur. Relief washed over him as Sonic pulled the little fox into a tight embrace, an action that was instantly reciprocated by its recipient. With a sigh, he heaved, "You have no idea how worried I was about you."

Sonic loosened his grip on the twin tailed fox, allowing Tails to sit back down on the chair. Taking a seat beside the younger child, Sonic looked over the few bandages wrapped around the fox's limbs and the bits of charred fur that surrounded them.

"You okay Tails?" He asked grimly.

"…I'm fine." Tails bit his lip and looked up to the hero with big blue eyes. "Sonic…" He began falteringly, "I'm sorry."

Sonic looked at the fox in confusion. "You have nothing to apologize for lil' buddy." He reassured. "You didn't do anything wrong."

But Tails only shut his eyes and continued to bite his lip in regret. "I'm sorry…I've been so mean to you for the past few days." He explained.

"Mean? You've never been mean to me Tails," Sonic responded with a solemn expression, albeit, surprised by how much emotion Tails was showing. "Sure you haven't been talking as much lately, but that's not being mean."

"But…it's not right…" Tails sniffed and held a hand up to his downcast eyes, and it was then that Sonic realized that the cub was crying.

"Tails…awh, c'mere." He gently lifted the kitsune onto his lap and wiped away the rivulets of tears on the fox's muzzle. "I'm not mad at you lil' buddy, honest." He said.

"I-it-it doesn't matter!" Tails choked out through heavy sobs. "I-I ignored you! You've only been nice to me and I've just been ignoring that!" His body quaked as he buried his head in the hedgehog's shoulder.

"Shhh, it's okay," Sonic assured soothingly while rubbing the back of the kitsune's head. And though he hated when he saw Tails crying like this, he would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved that the little fox was finally showing some emotions after seemingly locking them away. "As long as you promise not to do it again, I forgive you."

"I-I p-p-prom-mise…" Tails muttered and with another sniff managed to stifle his cries. "I promise…I'll never do that ever again!" He restated more firmly.

"Good, now wipe away those tears," Sonic gave the fox a light grin while he dried the remaining droplets from the corners of his eyes. "I could never be mad at you, and you don't have to be sad Tails, you have the bestest friend in the world with you, remember?"

Tails let out a slight giggle at the hedgehog's familiar choice of words. "Yeah, I do don't I?"

"Yup, and so do I." Sonic sighed as the worst of his worries slowly filtered out of his system and leaned back on the chair, still holding the little fox in his arms. Finally getting a chance to rest after a long day, he shut his eyes and softly stroked Tails' head. Both were just happy to be back in each other's presence.

"Hey Sonic…" Tails began after a few silent minutes.

"Yeah buddy?" Sonic responded.

"Were you…were you really worried about me?"

Sonic opened his eyes to find sky blue ones staring incredulously into his own. "Y'know…when I found out about what happened, the first thing I thought of was to run in and try and find you." He said with a small smile, much to the cub's stunned surprise. "But then I heard that some people made it out and were sent here, which is how I found you here, sitting alone."

"You would go into a burning house…for me?" Tails asked in shock.

Sonic nodded in response and suddenly felt the fox's head snuggle into his chest.

"Hey there, no need to cry again," Sonic softly comforted the cub, only to be surprised when Tails lifted his head and looked at him with an unwavering smile.

"I'm not crying," Tails said before looking away in embarrassment, the smile still plastered over his face, "I'm just…really happy that I met you, Sonic."

"Aw well, I'm happy I met you too," Sonic replied and scratched behind the fox's ear earning him a delightful squeal. Tails giggled childishly to the touch, a sound that Sonic had missed dearly over the past couple days.

"So, what were ya doing here? I thought you'd want to go home after what happened." Sonic asked after a few moments of tranquil silence.

"The doctor said I'm not allowed to leave until someone came to get me." Tails replied before he remembered something, "Oh yeah, the caretaker lady wanted to talk to you when you got here." He said, recalling the message one of the nurses had given to him.

"Oh, well, better not keep her waiting then." He gently lowered to fox onto the ground before standing up himself. "C'mon Tails."

A nearby doctor, who also recognized Sonic, gave them the room location and number which they managed to find with ease. The two silently opened the door and walked through. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the large gray body lying on the sole bed in the room, which did not make any movement to indicate that she heard the two friends enter. A doctor stood nearby writing on a clipboard, pausing when he noticed the two new arrivals, and then promptly gesturing for the duo to continue on before returning to his work.

Though he was quite short, Tails managed to discern the fact that the caretaker was actually a female bear, who then turned her head towards them after a brief moment.

"Are you alright?" She asked in a kind, motherly type voice. Tails froze, having not been expecting to be the center of attention so suddenly, and opted to timidly nod his head in place of speaking. "That's good," she said before shifting her gaze up and towards the blue hedgehog at the fox's side, "Sonic."

Sonic walked forward and stopped a few feet from the bed. "Miss," he began in a respectful tone that Tails never recalled hearing before. "Did everyone make it out?"

Tails inwardly let out a tiny grin. No matter how many times he saw it, he was always amazed by how much Sonic cared about other people. No wonder Mobius hailed him as their national hero, the selfless blue hedgehog, saving the innocent and fighting against evildoers. How had he not heard of him before?

"Yes, thankfully, everyone managed to make it out," She continued with a wary look.

Sonic sighed in relief, the news that nobody had died alleviating the remaining stress he felt. "I want to thank you," He said with a gratified smile, "for making sure Tails got out in time."

"I wouldn't ever leave a child in a burning building," She responded faithfully, "even if I were to die; I had to make sure he made it out."

Tails' breath hitched at the sudden declaration. His mouth fell agape as he immediately began replaying what the caretaker said, not quite believing if he heard her correctly. Sonic looked back at him with a trusting smile and a thumbs up, as if to tell him that his views on other people were wrong after all. But despite that, he still couldn't find the confidence to believe it was real.

"But I must ask you something," She continued, drawing back the attention of the hedgehog.

"Sure, anything," Sonic replied with a cheery grin.

Her face seemed to visibly darken to the young kitsune but Sonic didn't notice.

"What did you do to him?" In an instant her tone shifted from devoted caretaker to one of harsh accusation, much to Sonic's bewilderment.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked after overcoming his surprise, his grin wavering a bit in the process.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about hedgehog!" She continued, her voice rising in anger, "What did you do to him?" She asked again, pointing at Tails much to the duo's confusion.

"Watch your tone Miss," The nearby doctor interrupted sharply, "That's Sonic the Hedgehog you're talking to!"

"I don't _care_ who he is!" She seethed in outright fury. "What he's done to that child is unforgivable!"

"Sorry, but I still don't understand what it is that I've done wrong?" Sonic looked more confused than ever as he shuffled back a few steps until he was back beside the little fox. The doctor, foreseeing where this was going, quickly left the room.

"Do you force him to do things he doesn't want?" She asked strictly.

Sonic widened his eyes at the proclamation. "I would never do that!" He instinctively stated while narrowing his eyes, "Why would you even think I would?"

"Do you even know how he acts without you around?" Sonic curiously shook his head, preferring to let her speak. She sighed, suppressing her anger before she spoke, "…I've never seen anything like it, he was always alone, not once did he talk me or any of the other kids."

Sonic didn't find that to be quite a surprise, knowing how the fox was like. "I watched him while he walked through the hallways by himself. I kept thinking, maybe he was trying to find a specific room or that he was trying to find out where the other kids were…but he never stopped." She muttered, a faint sob escaping her as she spoke much to their surprise.

"And then…he started hiding whenever someone walked by…" Tails stood stunned; he didn't even realize she had been watching over him. "…He looked so lost…always staring at the ground. I sent a cub in to try and help make him happy, but he only ran away as soon as they met…I didn't know what to do…I've never seen a child so sad or so scared before."

Tails looked away from Sonic's surprised gaze, knowing that what the caretaker was saying was true but being too afraid to admit it.

"I wanted to talk to him but a situation came up and I had to take care of it. When I came back…he was gone. I searched every hiding place in all the rooms as much as I could, but I couldn't find him…and then, a few hours later, out of nowhere, there was a fire…" She trailed off and wiped her eyes, "…I searched through the fire for him, and found him inside the janitor's closet. At first I assumed the worst, but then I realized he was unconscious." She finished.

She leaned her head back down on the pillow and let out a saddened sigh. "I've never seen a child so neglected before. I thought he might've just been sad that you were gone, but now that you're here, I can see that that's not the case, is it?" And though she was facing away from him, Tails knew he was the one the question was directed towards.

"…How could you let that happen?" She asked, her voice was laced with spite. "He's just a child! He doesn't deserve to feel that sad!"

Sonic, who had been listening intently, didn't take the fact that he was being accused again very well but managed to subdue it. "He doesn't really like talking to people other than me," He began, though he was beginning to believe that some of what she said was true.

"How much have you been neglecting him?!" She rhetorically asked. "I know what children look like when they're sad or lonely! Even now when I look at him, I can see, he tries to hide it but it's there!" She stated much to their shock. "Now tell me…why do you force him to hide it?...Why do you force him to be so alone when you can see how hurt he is?"

Sonic steadied his breathing and looked down at the little kitsune in concern. "Is that true Tails?" He asked, wishing now more than ever that he understood emotions as well, "Do you really feel like you're alone?"

Tails looked away from his best friend and bit his lip, not being able to bear the worried expressions any longer. The actions however only lead to Sonic believing that it _was_ true.

"Tails…tell me it's not true!" Sonic pleaded but Tails remained unmoving.

 _What have I done?_ Sonic questioned himself, his vision becoming a swirl of yellow-fur. _I was the only one he could count on and I messed that up! GAH why didn't I do anything to help?! All this time I thought something was wrong and I never did more than argue with him about it for a bit? What kind of best friend am I?!_

"You're no hero…hedgehog." Her voice protruded through his already frenzied thoughts, "If you were, you would _never_ have let him end up like this…"

Sonic grit his teeth as the thought of neglecting Tails for so long overcame him. … _she's right,_ he thought, _being a hero isn't just about saving people from Robotnik! Damnit! How did I let this drag on for so long?!_

"He will be in much better hands with somebody else, seeing as you can't bother to properly take care of him."

His heart skipped a beat. _Somebody else? But…he's my best friend…my first best friend in years…_ Sonic clutched his head in his hands and shut his eyes as a whole new feeling enveloped him. _…But do I even deserve to be his best friend anymore? I don't want to lose him but…_

"You're no hero with what you've done."

A sudden pang of guilt welled up within the distressed hedgehog, his already erratic thoughts spun wildly out of his control until all he heard were the bitter remarks of his mistakes. Each thought ate away more and more at his confidence as his mind became filled with doubts.

 _I'm only eleven years old! What was I thinking?!Of course I can't take care of a kid properly!_

And just when he was about to accept the fact that he _wasn't_ the correct person for Tails to live with, a different sound suddenly swept through his senses and quickly silenced all his considerations and judgments.

Sonic opened an eye and realized that the sound wasn't coming from his mind, but from something close by. His ears perked up at the strange sound in recognition. It was laughter.

Fully opening both eyes, Sonic turned to see Tails, joyously grinning in unrestrained laughter, much to both his and the caretaker's blatant confusion.

"Sweetie? What's the matter?" Sonic heard her ask in uncertainty.

Tails lifted a hand to wipe away a tear that formed from laughing so much, surprising both of them.

"Ohohohoo…that's funny," Tails chuckled with a grin while clutching his stomach. "You actually think I'm like this because of _him_?" He said, tilting his eyebrows in disbelief and pointing at Sonic. "Ohoho…that is _too_ funny!"

Sonic stared at the young kitsune in shock and perplexity. He wanted to say something, to ask Tails what the hell was going on, but the fox's very malevolent voice caused him to freeze up.

"What do you mean?" The caretaker asked, equally as confused as the hedgehog.

"You don't _honestly_ think I'm like this because of him do you?" Tails asked with a sly grin. "We only just met a few days ago," He said, narrowing his eyes.

The caretaker looked into Tails' eyes to try and find the locked away sadness she saw moments ago, but to her surprise, _it wasn't there_.

"You say you saw it?" Tails asked giddily. "All that sadness and loneliness? Pfft, that's a joke."

 _Tails?_

"I was never _sad_! That was all just an act!" He exclaimed with a sneer. "And you fell for it!" He said with a chuckle.

"But…what, why?" The old caretaker trailed off at a loss for words.

"It's so much fun, that's why!" Tails pointed his index finger sharply at her and continued, "When sappy old people like you treat me with respect, I get all the free food I want, all the toys, the clothes, everything! All I have to do is put a frown on my face and I can get anything I want!"

 _Tails…what are you doing? Stop!_

"Oh yeah, by the way, I didn't talk to those kids cause I hate them! All of the kids are older than me but still talk like babies! They're all smelly, rude, annoying, loud, and dumb!" He shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Heh, I don't get why everyone likes them, I mean what's the big deal? They can't do anything, they take up space, _and_ they cost a lot of money! It's part of the reason _I_ started the fire in the first place."

 _No! What? Why would you?!_

"…hehe, woops, I said that out loud didn't I? Ah well, it's not like you're gonna arrest a kid, 'specially not if I act sad again. But yup, _I_ started the fire. I wanted to create somethin to, say…help control the children. Ended up falling asleep while I was preparing it and I dropped the lighter, unfortunately it didn't go as planned, but oh well, what can ya do?"

 _Tails!_

"I really wish Sonic would've helped me do it, he's a lot smarter at it than I am. But he's too busy playing _Mr. Hero_ that he can't even be bothered to join me! You were right when you said he doesn't properly take care of me. All he does every day is nag me when I try and have fun and sometimes he even stops me from doing it! What kind of caretaker doesn't let their kid have any fun?"

 _What the hell?! Tails stop!_

"You should lighten up Sonic, or should I say, _Mr. Hero Pants_ , and stop trying to turn me into you. I don't wanna go off saving cities all day, or save people from getting killed. All that stuff is _boooringggg_! Why should I care if someone is trying to take over the world? 'Specially if it's this Robotnik guy, I dunno why you keep stopping him, 'maybe it's cause you're too nice for your own good. Ya know, you might've adopted me cause you're nice, so I guess that's one of the good things about you, if only a little. After all, how else would I take advantage of you if you left me?"

 _Tails-_

"I guess your useless kindness had a use after all! But still, I sure wish you'd stop leaving me with random strangers and just let me stay home when you go off to _save the world_ or whatever, but I know you're too _soft_ to do that. You know, I-"

"ENOUGH!"

Both fox and hedgehog stopped mid-thought and looked up to the caretaker as she visibly shook with rage.

"…get out of my sight…"

Sonic stood frozen at the amount of hatred in the old lady's voice. He couldn't move. A sound prompted him to turn his head to the side just in time to see Tails push open the door, a small smile etched on his face as he walked out. The door clicked back in place, leaving the two the sole occupants in the room.

"…I'm sorry…" He heard her mumble quietly. "…I misjudged you, Sonic."

Sonic's breath hitched in his throat as the realization of what Tails was trying to do rammed into him full force.

"…It must be difficult, living with him." She continued softly, "…perhaps you truly are a hero after all."

Sonic snapped himself out of his shock and stared wide eyed at the olden caretaker as she lay back on the bed and began to rest. Without another thought, he raced out the door scanning frantically for the little yellow kitsune. Using his speed, he raced through every floor of the hospital before ending at the front entrance, no fox in sight.

Bursting out into the dead of the night, Sonic was immediately stung by the cold winter night air. He quickly scanned the nearby sidewalks but was once again met with nothing.

Not wasting another moment, Sonic sprinted up and down the barren streets nearest to the hospital, desperately trying to find the cub but to no avail. _Damnit! Where is he?!_ He anxiously wondered.

His search ended with him in the frozen park where he spotted a little tuft of yellow fur sitting motionlessly on a bench.

As Sonic slowly approached from behind, he saw that Tails was staring grimly up at the sky, gazing at the moon with a longing expression.

"Tails," Sonic began while taking a seat beside the expressionless kitsune. His breath caught in his throat and for the first time in ages, he didn't know what to say. "…you…" He trailed off. His mind raced through thousands of questions that he desperately wanted to ask the little fox, making it impossible to focus on just one.

Tails sighed and continued gazing up at the lonesome moon in thought. "…I didn't mean some of the things I said, if that's what you're thinking."

"But…why? I mean, why did you say all those things?" Sonic asked, dearly wanting Tails to talk to him rather than shut him out.

"…you're a hero Sonic, that's what they all say right?"

"Yes but so what if one person doesn't think I'm a hero? ...a hero's just a title Tails, and nothing more than that." Sonic affirmed. "Besides…I'm no hero after what I did to you."

"No, Sonic, you're a hero, a _real hero_ ," Tails said with a shake of his head, finally looking at his best friend with a tiny smile. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was bothering me, but that's my fault, not yours. So please, don't believe what she said about you, no matter what you'll always be a hero cause that's just who you are. You're a hero, and you deserve to be respected and loved," His gaze dropped a little, too ashamed to look the hedgehog in the eye. "…and if I can help make other people see you as a hero, then I'll gladly do it."

"But, Tails…" He eyed the kitsune with sympathy, and was amazed by just how much the cub truly cared about him. "…that was just one person…I…I don't care if they hate _me_ …but now she hates _you_ …you deserve to be loved too."

Tails shook his head and propelled his fists up. "You don't see the difference one person makes Sonic…and I'm not a hero like you are! You're Sonic the Hedgehog! _Everyone_ knows who you are! And I thought that if _anybody_ deserves to be respected and loved, then it's _you_! The greatest hero on _all_ of Mobius!" He exclaimed with heightened fervour. "You're the nicest, bestest, and most caring person I've ever met, and if I could do anything to pay it back to you then I will!"

He sighed and ran a hand over his eye. "...you adopted me to give me a better life, not so I could mess up yours…"

Sonic shuffled closer to the little fox and wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder. "Tails...you won't mess up my life, not ever, cause that's something you would never do. But if something like that happens again, please, don't lie and make people hate you, even if it is for me."

"It's fine, really it is...my life's already messed up anyways, and I'd rather them hate me for being a spoiled brat than hate you for doing what you love..."

Sonic felt his heart heave at the words no four year old should have to say.

"Tails…c'mere kid," He gently placed the little fox on his lap and enveloped him in a great big hug. "What am I gonna do with you...?" He sighed.

Tails exhaled contently in the warming embrace as Sonic soothingly rubbed the back of his head. "Just, promise me one thing for now, okay Tails?" Sonic began and leaned back on the bench.

"Mmh? What is it Sonic?"

"Never lie to me like that," He spoke with a hurt voice, "…I swear…if I didn't know you then, I would've believed everything you said, word for word." He shivered, remembering the cruel and convincing way the kitsune spoke. "….it was actually pretty scary how real you sounded. You almost made me think you actually _did_ start the fire."

Tails let out a little giggle at the hedgehog's comment.

"I'm being serious Tails." Sonic reaffirmed.

"Oh, right," Tails let out a longing breathe, "…well, I've had a lot of practice, lying like that. And one of the reasons it sounded so real was because I wasn't lying to you, I was lying to her." He stated.

Sonic pulled back a bit from the hug and sat the kid down on his lap so he could look at him. "Oh, really?" He asked in genuine surprise. "What's so special about me?"

Tails shifted his eyes away from the hedgehog uncomfortably. "Well...ya see, I find it really hard to lie to you for some reason, it just makes me feel...weird, inside. And cause of that, I don't lie to you very much."

"But you still do it sometimes, don't you." Sonic said, implying all the times Tails said he was fine.

Tails winced as the touchy subject was brought back up. "…yeah, I do." He murmured and took a deep breath. "…look…I know what you're thinking about right now, but…I can't tell you about it, not yet anyway."

"Why not?" Sonic asked dejectedly, as if the little cub _still_ didn't trust him.

"Sonic I…want to tell you, really, I do…but I'm just not ready yet." Tails said. Upon seeing Sonic's downcast features, he quickly added, "It's not because I don't trust you Sonic, because I do, more than anyone else…"

"Then why won't you tell me?" Sonic placed his hands on the cub's shoulders and softened his gaze. "If it's big enough to make you feel like you're alone, then I need to know what it is so I can help you. I care about you more than you realize Tails."

The glum fox sunk his head down further in guilt. "I know and I promise I _will_ tell you Sonic, just not right now…give me three weeks and I _promise_ I'll tell you what's wrong."

Sonic lifted an eyebrow and then extended a hand out to the fox. Tails looked at the outstretched pinkie in confusion before Sonic spoke, "Pinkie promise?"

A small grin made its way onto his face as Tails copied the gesture and accepted. "Pinkie promise."

"I'm trusting you Tails," Sonic stated seriously.

"I know...and i won't break my promise," Tails said reminiscently. His eyes turned back to the snowy white wonderland around them as he asked, "Can we go home now Sonic?"

"Sure thing bud," Sonic gently lowered Tails to the ground before getting up and stretching his arms and legs. "I'm exhausted after everything today."

"Me too," Tails replied, walking side by side with his best friend again. "I'm sorry I lied to you Sonic, I should've at least told you something was wrong." He said after a few silent minutes.

When Tails didn't receive a reply, he turned to look at the blue hedgehog only to have his vision suddenly obscured and feel a freezing sensation on his muzzle.

"H-Hey! What was that for?" Tails asked childishly while wiping the snowball off his face.

"For lying to me," Sonic replied, grinning mischievously, "and _this one's_ for not telling me you were sad!"

Another snowball impacted his face with a dull thud. Sonic stared as Tails shook the excess snow off before proceeding to pout cutely.

"T-t-that…" Sonic stuttered, his mind pretty much shutting down from the flat out adorable sight. He was suddenly knocked back into his senses by the freezing touch of a snowball before he heard the kitsune giggling wildly at what he presumed was his face.

"So that's how you wanna play…" Sonic muttered with a devilish grin. Tails immediately stopped laughing and stared, wide eyed at the malevolent glint in the hedgehog's eyes. So he did what he did best. High tail it out of there!

"You're not gettin away that easy Tails!" Sonic yelled out after the cheerfully smirking kitsune.

Their cries and laughter could be heard throughout the entire city as the two bestest friends playfully pelted snowballs at each other, all the while running back to their home in the Mystic Ruins.


	10. Slowing Down

Brother of Mine

Never thought this part of the story would go on for this long, nevertheless, we'll see some action soon enough. Thank you to all those who read/review/favorite/follow this story! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 10: Slowing Down

On most days, not so much as a squeak could be heard coming from the house this early in the morning, not to say it was always this quiet though. This day in particular however, a low, sizzling-popping sound could be heard emanating from the kitchen, where a little two-tailed fox was busily at work.

 _Wowie! It's 9 o'clock already! That means Sonic'll be up soon!_ Miles "Tails" Prower thought, turning his head as he wiped his sweat covered brow with a dirtied hand. Unbeknownst to the giddy kitsune, the action left a slimy white paste in its trail that now clung goofily onto his forehead. His concentration remained unwavering and was currently being focused solely on the frying pan in his grip as he took a deep breath...

 _3… 2… 1… now!_ …and with a heave he flung the pan upwards, shooting the pancake upright through the air before quickly catching it on a plate.

Tails let out a content sigh as he gazed upon his most recent masterpiece, a tower of freshly made pancakes served with a _very_ generous amount of maple syrup smothered on top. "Whew, didn't think making pancakes would be so much hard work," He chuckled, "I just hope I made enough for him,"

"Made enough for who?" A voice abruptly said making itself known behind him. The surprised kitsune leapt into the air, losing his balance on the chair he stood on sending him stumbling to the ground before a pair of hands caught him in midair.

"Sonniic!" Tails cried out childishly while quickly hiding the plate behind his back. "You scared me!"

"Hehe, sorry lil' buddy, I couldn't help it." Sonic chuckled as he placed the little fox back on his feet. "Geez, what were ya doing in here? Looks like a food-fight happened or somethin," He questioned curiously, noting the creamy colored goop that all but encompassed almost every possible surface in the kitchen, including the cub before him. "And…are you wearing an apron?"

Tails continued to pout cutely at him with his hands behind his back. "Well, yeah! That's what people wear when they cook, right?" He stated with a grin as if it were clear as day. "Anyway, I want to give you something!" His smile widened as he brought the plate above his head. "Ta da! You like it Sonic? Huh?"

Sonic gulped. "That's uh… looks great, lil' buddy… you uhm, made those all by yourself?" He asked.

"Yup! So d'ya like it?"

"I… I love it kiddo!"

The ecstatic kitsune didn't seem to notice Sonic's somewhat hesitant answer and if anything became even happier. He lifted the plate over his head and onto the table before hurrying back to the hedgehog. "Here, sit down! I'll get you a fork!" He said excitedly and proceeded to drag Sonic to a chair before scurrying off to the kitchen drawers.

Sonic sat rooted to the chair as he stared at the fox's latest creation indecisively. The four year old may have been an amazing mechanic, a prodigy scientist, and quite possibly a master of deception, but he was _certainly_ no Gordon Ramsay.

"Here ya go!" Tails said, handing him a fork before scampering onto the table himself and plopping down, "You think it'll be 'nough for you? Or should I make more?"

"NO!" Sonic blurted out bringing a confused expression to Tails' face. "Uhm I mean…I don't, normally eat a big breakfast anyway, so this should be plenty enough," He quickly said, though was surprised to see that Tails actually believed him.

"Well, only if you're sure 'bout that…" Tails said, still a little skeptical.

"You know I wouldn't lie to you bud," Sonic said more confidently. Tails perked up at his words and seemed to forget about the matter entirely, if the far-off look and fallen ears had any indication. Sonic raised an eyebrow at the strange response before deciding to shift topics. "So…" He began with a smirk. "You seem to be in a good mood today. Any reason why?"

Tails shuffled his hands together and dimly twiddled his thumbs before responding, "Well, ya'know, since I've been actin like such a jerk and all the past few days, I wanted to make it up to you," he said timidly, "so I thought that if I was happier, then you would be happier too."

Sonic sat back a little, still surprised at the extent the fox's attitude changed over the course of a day. "Well, that's certainly nice of you to do, and I'm guessing that 'this' has something to do with it?" He said gesturing at the surprise breakfast.

Tails nodded his head vigorously as a bright smile lit up his face. "Yup! I wanted to give you back something for taking care of me, and I didn't know how to make chili dogs so I made pancakes!" He folded his arms in a prideful manner before saying, "and I think I did a pretty good job on them too! I thought I was gonna have to remake a whole bunch but boy was I wrong, I never knew cooking would be this easy!"

"Easy… haha… yeahhh" Sonic nervously laughed while fumbling with the fork. _Oh sweet Chaos he actually thinks these are good!? And I don't have the heart to break it to him either!_ His eyes looked around for something to distract himself with before landing on a black object on the fox's wrist that was mostly obscured by pancake mix. "Hey, is that a watch?"

"Oh yeah! I made it myself with some of the things you gave me," Tails replied excitedly as he wiped the goop off the digital screen. His attention almost immediately returned to breakfast however as he eagerly leaned forward. "Now come on Sonic! I want to see if you like it or not!"

"Ya know, uh, you must've worked up an appetite making these. I don't mind sharing some with you, that is, if you'd like,"

"Nope, it's _all_ for you!" Tails grinned shaking his head.

 _Ohhh boy…_ Sonic suddenly felt queasy even though it was still early in the morning. _Is this… my punishment for making him stay at the daycare yesterday? Or not letting him play with the plane?_ He stole another glance at the foreboding tower and felt a shiver go down his spine. _Oh dear Chaos! Have mercy on my soul!_

"Sonic? Is something wrong?" Tails asked noticing the frightened looks from his best friend.

"Wha? No way, why would anything be wrong?" Sonic said but Tails only looked at him questionably. "Alright, the pancakes are just a little… overcooked, I guess."

"Overcooked?" Tails leaned forward to examine his prized delicacy. His nose sniffed it a couple times and he even prodded it with a finger before going as far as to cut off a piece to taste it, "seems okay to me," Tails said plainly.

Sonic stared incredulously at the fox's display of nonexistent taste buds and only snapped out of it when Tails went in for another piece. "Ya'know why don't we eat out for breakfast today?" He suggested while holding the cub's hands back from the plate.

"But there's nothing wrong with this, is there?" Sonic winced at the hurt expression Tails gave him.

"You're still a growing kid Tails, and that means you need food that'll give nutrients and… that kinda stuff," Tails' ears flattened against his head as he heard that, "it's not that I think your cooking's bad! It's just; we both need to eat healthy stuff so we can grow up to be, y'know, healthy and strong."

Tails opened his mouth to interject but quickly shut it when he remembered he was supposed to be making Sonic happier.

"Don't feel bad kiddo," Sonic said while helping the little fox down from his seat on the table, "we can have pancakes another day and if ya want I can teach you how to cook some other stuff sometime. Now, how bout we clean up the kitchen before we head out?"

Tails looked around the kitchen at the mess he made that ended up being all for nothing, and sighed, "I never do anything right…"

Sonic watched as the kitsune trotted over to the multiple piles of glop on the floor and scooped them up into his hands in a glum manner. He never thought that his simple request would affect the kid this greatly, especially after they seemed to reconcile yesterday. Wanting to make Tails feel at least a little bit happier, Sonic gently scratched the little fox behind his ear drawing out the familiar delighted squeal that always brought a smile to his face.

"I'm not mad at you or anything, okay lil' buddy?" He said as he kneeled down to the cub's height. "I'm actually pretty impressed that you made breakfast all by yourself to be honest, so don't feel sad okay?"

Tails allowed a small smile to form on his lips as a result of Sonic's playful gesture and reassuring words. He looked away from the Hero and scratched his cheek in a bashful manner, "alright…" he sighed in content, no longer feeling the effects of an imaginary gloomy cloud overhanging him. His eyes were drawn back to the blue streaking hedgehog when Sonic suddenly raised a fist towards him.

Tails stared at the outstretched fist with unparalleled curiosity before shifting his gaze towards Sonic and asking in the most innocent voice the hedgehog had ever heard, "are you gonna punch me?"

"WHAT?!" Sonic instantly face faulted much to the little cub's astonishment. "No no no no no no! Why would- I would never hit you!" Sonic stammered exasperatedly as he scrambled for words, "It was just- ya see I thought this is what friends do nowadays. Y'know where they punch- Uh I mean not punch but hit-err uh join - their fists together into like a fist bump to show that they're best friends and I thought you would-err I mean _might_ know it since…"

Sonic slowly trailed off when he realized that Tails was giggling at him. "What's so funny?" he asked obliviously.

Tails held a hand to stifle his laughter, "you sound funny when you're confused," he giggled, "It's…different," Sonic raised an eyebrow in amusement before he had an idea and turned away, crossing his arms to feign dismay.

"Yeah? Well _I_ didn't think it was that funny!" He huffed while shutting his eyes. He knew that Tails was perceptive enough to see through his act but was surprised when after a moment he felt the little cub pawing at his knee instead.

"Aw c'mon Sonic I was just playin 'round! I didn't actually think it was funny either, honest! Please just don't be mad at me!" Sonic slid open an eye to see Tails looking up at him with a pleading smile and, though he wasn't an expert, even he could tell that the cub was being serious.

"Oh yeah?" Sonic replied with a sly grin.

Tails' eyes widened in realization at what his best friend was playing at and that Sonic was only staging his disapproval. "Yeah…" He nodded after letting out a relieved sigh, "it wasn't _that_ funny,"

" _Well_ I think I'm gonna have to do somethin' bout that!" and before Tails even had time to blink, Sonic had already scooped him up and got to work tickling his white belly.

"WHAHAHAHAHA SOHAHAHAHOHONIC?!"

Sonic grinned as the fox cub was rendered into a giggling mess in mere seconds. Tails cried out in laughter as he weakly swatted at Sonic's hands in fruitless attempts to escape but to no avail.

"C'HAHAMON SOHAHONIC! QUIHAHAHAHA-QUHIT IHIT!" Tails squealed. Sonic however showed no signs of stopping just yet as he began to swiftly tickle the back of the cub's neck, an area he knew was _very_ sensitive to the touch and would guarantee a greater response. No sooner had he done so than Tails instinctively jerked his upper body forwards amidst his fit of giggles and began hollering in even more unrestrained laughter.

"Oh? Is that a ticklish spot I see?" Sonic grinned mischievously.

"NAHEHEHEHEHAHAHOO!"

"Oh, really? Cause I think it might be!" He casually replied to the four year old's incoherent response and started to target the nape of Tails' neck more and more. Pretty soon the little fox had forsaken defending himself and instead opted to clutch his chest that was hurting from laughing so hard.

If there was anything Sonic knew that would cheer the both of them up, it was a good ol' fashioned tickle fight, granted, there wasn't much competition since Tails _was_ still just a kid. But to Sonic, the peace and playfulness of the activity couldn't have been any more enjoyable… even if he was covered in pancake mix.

Pretty soon Sonic came to the conclusion that if he carried on any longer that Tails might actually faint from lack of oxygen, if the kitsune's golden turned blue face gave any indication, and promptly allowed the cub a moment to rest.

"Hehe….hehe…what…was that…for?" Tails asked from his lying down position while taking in huge gulps of air. And despite his exhausted appearance, he still held a happy grin on his face that further seemed to ease and relax the cobalt hedgehog.

"Thought I could give you a hand with that 'mission' of yours and make us both happier," Sonic replied with a wink.

Tails opened his mouth to retort but quickly found that he lacked the necessary breath to say anything. His head gave a quick nod of thanks to the blue blur before he allowed his shoulders to slack downwards and relax himself after the one sided tickle fight. Sonic was content with letting Tails rest, and inwardly might have admitted that he had overdid it _again_ , but was nonetheless simply happy to sit there with his best friend and, dare he say it, slow down for once.

A few minutes pass before Tails sat back up, his breathing still audible but nowhere near as vigorous as it had been before.

Sonic held his fist out, a bit farther back this time, and motioned for Tails to do the same. The little fox gingerly extended his own fist and hit it against the older hedgehog's, creating a relaxing 'thud' sound upon contact.

"C'mon lil' buddy, let's hurry up and clean the kitchen so we can go get some breakfast. I don't know bout you but I'm starvin for some chili dogs after that!" Sonic offered, standing up.

Tails wanted to say that it was his mess so he should be the one cleaning it up and not the Hero of Mobius, but realized that that would bring another unwanted argument into the mix of their mending relationship which was definitely _not_ something he wanted to do. So, with a bit of reluctance, he stood up and began to aid the blue speedster in their Kitchen Recovery Mission. He wasn't going to jeopardize the happy atmosphere Sonic managed to create for them, nuh-uh, no way.

"…also we're gonna have to take a bath before we leave," Sonic added, "now c'mon, I wanna show you something after we eat."

 _Show me something?_ Tails wondered what Sonic could possibly want to show _him,_ especially after he made such a mess in the hedgehog's own kitchen! His mind wandered through the infinite possibilities of what Mobius' greatest hero had in store for him as he swept the floors. But unfortunately for him, he couldn't help but be drawn towards the thoughts that didn't involve anything good.

* * *

"Hurry up Tails, else I'm gonna need a retirement home by the time we make it there!" Sonic jokingly said as he watched the two tailed kitsune slowly jog up to him.

"Huff… sorry… I can't… huff… run… huff… as fast as you," Tails gasped. The poor fox looked like he could barely stand on his own and was forced to hold himself up with his hands planted on his knees.

"Whoa you don't have to be sorry about that, after all, not everyone can be a super-fast hedgehog like me," Sonic said somewhat prideful.

"Yeah… huff… but If… I wasn't so slow…huff… you wouldn't… have to keep…huff…. waiting… for me to catch up!" Tails clutched his chest in pain as if every breath renewed the fiery sensation that burned in his lungs.

Sonic sheepishly muttered an "oops" and slowly rubbed the kitsune's back in little circular motions. "C'mon pal, cheer up. I don't mind slowing down once in a while," he said truthfully, "and ya know if you wanted to rest you coulda just asked me."

"No… way… huff… it's okay… I'm fine now," Tails straightened up and exhaled loudly to prove it but ended up maintaining that position for a good two seconds before he was back on his knees.

"Jeez, fine? Yeaah right," Sonic sighed. "You sure you still don't want me to carry you? I really don't mind y'know since; you weigh less than a feather." He offered. Tails opened his mouth to talk but after several failed attempts, gave up and simply shook his head instead. "Alright then, how bout we walk the rest of the way? We're pretty close anyway."

The fox cub tiredly nodded his head and obediently began trudging along behind Sonic. By the time the duo finally arrived at their destination, Tails had managed to suppress his weariness to an occasional huff and puff every now and then.

Unlike their home in the Mystic Ruins, this place was in fact _not_ covered in a two foot high layer of snow. Instead, short emerald grass sprouted out of the ground at every turn and every tree. The wind didn't send chills down their spines but soothed them like a soft flowing blanket at night. Up ahead was a moderately sized hill and beyond that lay the bright blue sky.

The duo continued walking until they stood directly on the hill, only, now that Tails could see it, also served as the top of a cliff that stretched downwards for a pretty far drop before meeting the dark blue oceanic tidal waves in a stagnant battle at the bottom.

Sonic plopped himself down a bit of a distance away from the edge of the cliff and instructed for Tails to do the same. "It's pretty peaceful here, don't you agree?" He asked while lying back on his quills.

"Yeah, it is," Tails replied after sitting down beside the blue hedgehog, "but what was it that you wanted to show me?"

Sonic let out a sigh, "look around us," he said simply.

Tails complied and turned his head to take another look at the scenery that surrounded them. His ears perked up a bit in recognition, "this place… it's Emerald Hill Zone isn't it!" he exclaimed. "I've only ever seen pictures of this place! I never actually thought I would be here one day! Guess it really is as peaceful as everyone says!"

Sonic hummed in agreement to that. "I wanted to show you this place 'cause of how peaceful it is, good for lettin out your thoughts," he said.

"Letting out my thoughts? I thought you were a hero, not a tairapist." Tails questioned innocently.

"It's therapist, not tairapist," Sonic chuckled, "hey… that's the first time I've heard you mispronounce a word! I should write this down or somethin!" He joked causing Tails to redden and look away in embarrassment, "but to answer your question, being a hero doesn't necessarily mean I can't do other stuff too, not that I'm saying I'm a _therapist_ but, you get the point."

Tails sighed, "I wish I could be like you Sonic, you're smart, you're strong, you're a hero but can do other things that other Mobians who aren't heroes can do, you can run fast enough to make sonic booms, have no weaknesses, own your own house, and you probably have lots 'a friends…"

"Well, I am a hero, but not all of what you said is true," Sonic stated, "believe it or not I don't actually have that many friends and I have lot more weaknesses than you think, for example, I… can't swim and start panicking pretty badly when I'm underwater."

But Tails shook his head, "nah, you just gotta practice a bit more and in no time you'll probably be swimming as fast as you can run. You're a hero Sonic, and heroes don't got any weaknesses… only normal Mobians and freaks of nature like me get weaknesses."

Tails bit his tongue expecting Sonic to make a remark on what he just said, but that moment never came.

 _He still doesn't have any self-confidence after all we've been through?_ Sonic wondered, his whole body freezing when he heard the little cub make a statement that degraded him further. _Stupid Westside City, just how much damage did they do to the kid? I gotta do something to try and fix this… but what?_

A few minutes rolled by and Tails had long since forsaken the belief that Sonic would talk to him anymore and resorted to plucking singular blades of grass to fumble with on his wrists. As he began to slide the bits of grass gently along the side of his arm, Sonic spoke up.

"Kiddo," the hedgehog began while sitting up, "this may sound kind of ironic coming from me, but sometimes the best thing to do is to slow down."

"What do you mean by that Sonic?" Tails quirked an eye ridge curiously.

"All the things that've happened since I met you," Sonic said as he wrapped an arm around the younger fox's shoulder, "it just feels like so much has happened since then but it's only been about a week."

Tails shifted his gaze from the bundle of grass in his hands and onto the hedgehog's kind expression beside him.

"It's been a roller coaster ride for the both of us huh? After that argument we had on the first day, then your little accident with my plane, and now what happened yesterday? Jeez, my life hasn't been this hectic in a long time."

Tails flattened his ears against his skull, thinking that Sonic wasn't as happy anymore because of him.

"But… it also hasn't been this much fun either," Sonic continued much to Tails' confusion. "I never thought the first friend I'd make would be a four year old, and I definitely wouldn't have thought they would become my _best_ friend as well."

Tails stared at the cobalt hedgehog in pure perplexity to which Sonic sighed. "Look kiddo, point I'm trying to make is you're special from other kids your age… and yes, I mean that in a good way." He said reassuringly. "I mean look at what you can do! You fixed my plane when not even an adult could, upgraded my TV, made this dandy looking watch out of everyday items, cooked up a _mean_ lookin pancake today, and even saved me from Robotnik back on Westside Island!"

Sonic paused to let his words sink in before continuing. "Now look at the other four year olds! They eat, cry, yell, poop, they're loud, hard to raise, hate going to bed, are picky about _everything_ they eat, and most of the time you don't even know what they're sayin! You, on the other hand, can talk almost like a _teenager_ who's more than double your age!" He exclaimed, "You're the quietist kid I've ever seen, always go to bed when I ask you," Tails winced, "never complain about anything, never need me to do anything for you, you always eat whatever I give you, I mean for cryin out loud! You were willing to eat a burnt up pancake today!"

Tails rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, having never been complimented so many times in his entire life before.

Sonic sighed, "Kiddo, I know you feel sad… and alone, and scared, and that's alright, as far as I can tell you're just trying to see how you fit into your new life and what you should and shouldn't do. But what I want you to know is that it's my job to help you do that. If you still want to wait the three weeks before you tell me what's wrong, then I'll wait. I'm supposed to be taking care of you, I mean, sure I haven't adopted you yet, **but** that doesn't make me anything less of your guardian!"

From his voice alone Tails could tell that Sonic was trying his very best for him.

"So don't feel alone, k kid? I'll always be near if you want to talk," Sonic finished with a reassuring smile. "Cause even Mobius' greatest hero can slow down every once in a while."

Tails stared out into the open sea, his thoughts mimicking the ocean currents. A strange feeling of contentment was overflowing from his heart in waves after hearing all the nice things Sonic said. And maybe, just a teeny tiny bit, maybe he felt like he was finally overcoming his past fears.

"Miles Prower..." Tails muttered with a solemn smile. "That's my name, my _real_ name."

Sonic grinned. "Well, nice to finally know your name, Miles 'Tails' Prower!" He said enthusiastically, knowing that the little fox was fully expecting him to laugh at the name.

"It's fine if you laugh you know," Tails said as if reading his mind, "It's a pretty stupid name anyway."

"Hey. It is _not_ a _stupid_ name." Sonic instantly stated. "And I am _not_ going to laugh at you, 'cause that's not what a best friend does."

"I wouldn't mind if you did," Tails looked away from Sonic so the hedgehog couldn't see his face, "cause if you were laughing then I'd know you were happy."

"Tails... please stop doing that," Sonic sighed while tightening his hold on the kitsune's shoulder, "you keep sacrificing your own happiness for mine and it's not right. If anything I should be the one doing that, not you."

"You've already done more than I could ever ask for 'for me, it's only fair if I help you back, even if it's just a little," Tails stated truthfully.

"But that's not _little!"_ Sonic didn't want to argue with the cub any more than Tails did but he needed to help the cub realize that he was worth more than he thought.

Tails flinched upon hearing the hedgehog's serious tone and immediately abandoned all thoughts of continuing the argument. His ears lowered back against his head as he muttered a few words that stunned the hedgehog as well.

"... I'm sorry Sonic."

The Hero of Mobius instantly relaxed his grip on the kitsune and let out a heavy hearted sigh. "Tails I..." he began but stopped when his mind told him to stop. "... ohh kiddo... what am I gonna do with you...?"

Tails wiped his eyes clear of any tears that may have begun forming before Sonic could notice. "... I'm sorry I did that Sonic… I promise, I won't argue with you ever again," he shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry too lil' buddy... I'm sorry too."

The regret that filled Sonic's voice tugged wretchedly at Tails' heart. He was supposed to be making the hedgehog happier yet he just succeeded in making Sonic apologize for something that wasn't even his fault! And right after Sonic complimented him too!

 _Just what kind of best friend am I…?_

* * *

Tails' POV:

"Ouch!" I quietly yelped as I felt a sharp sting come from my left wrist that quickly brought me out of my half-sleep. I rubbed my wrist in silence, being careful not to make any more sounds as I check the time on my watch. 5:50 a.m. That means a few more hours until sunrise, and a few more hours until Sonic wakes up.

I yawned as I climbed out of the cockpit and took a seat at one of the desks. I must've accidentally lost control while I was sleep working. Guess my nap at the daycare didn't really help as much as I hoped.

My thoughts wandered back to the fire at the daycare. I only got a few hours of sleep but the whole building burned down in the process. They're saying it was started by an electrical fire, but I know better. It was my fault. And I know it.

I clenched my teeth and grabbed the strap of my watch, wrapping it around my hand once. I pulled on it as hard as I could causing it to tighten forcefully around my wrist. It hurt. It hurt real bad. But I knew that if I fell asleep while Sonic was around that it would only hurt more. I can't let my **bad luck** affect him too. I've already messed up his life enough.

I let out a low groan from the pain crushing around my wrist. Maybe I tightened it a bit too much, but it was already too late to make changes. The strap locked in place like a zip-tie and would only come off if it was broken. There was no other way to take it off, just as I designed it. The pain would numb soon anyway so I decided to just ignore it.

There was no way I was getting back to sleep working soon with the strap keeping me awake so I decided to head upstairs to pass some time. Everything was still dark, and I didn't want to wake Sonic so I kept the lights off. But that meant I had to walk extra carefully 'cause my eyes haven't developed enough to see that well in the dark.

The house was quiet, well, except for Sonic's snoring that is. I got myself a glass of water and climbed onto the sofa to rest a little.

I fumbled around with my watch to try and loosen it a bit but it was not budging. To be honest, having it on so tight kinda scared me. If it stopped working properly then… I didn't even continue that thought.

What matters for now is that it keeps me awake. No matter how much the electric shocks hurt, I can't take it off no matter what; I can't let myself fall asleep again, for Sonic's sake.

I quickly finished my glass of water and hopped off the couch making a silent thud. I put everything back together exactly the way it was before and went back to the staircase.

Everything was still as I stared at the hallway that leads to our bedrooms. The bedroom that I was _supposed_ to be sleeping in since I started living here, but never have, and the other bedroom that seemed to be snoring right now.

I paused at the top of the stairs and thought back to what Sonic said before I started our argument. Slow down... I didn't know what the problem was at the time, but now as I'm half asleep; I realize maybe it was about _me_. _I_ was the problem. Come to think of it, I _have_ been acting up and causing a lot of problems for him... and all those compliments he gave me was just him trying to make me feel better about it!

… and that means he blames me for everything bad that has happened…

Maybe I _should_ slow down. All the bad things that've happened so far _are_ because of me doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing.

That means I have to… stop causing problems for him and stop… asking to do things and only do what he says I can. It is his house after all, his house… his rules. I could've stopped so many of the bad things from happening… like the mess in the kitchen... or all the arguments we had.

Oh why am I so _stupid_?! If Sonic has to ask me to do that then that means I never noticed how disappointed he was with everything I did! And that means… he's been unhappy this entire time! All this time I've been trying to make him happy and I've just been making it worse! I can't believe it. I shouldn't have _ever_ done anything without asking him first. Two years after the third real _care_ taker I've ever had died and… I still can't follow orders…

Geez… I really can't do anything right, can I?

I sighed and turned away before quickly slipping back into the garage.

Right there I made a promise to myself that I will not disobey Sonic anymore. Everything I do from now until… when he decides to kick me out will be done only with his permission! He might say he's happy to have me with him, but that's just 'cause he's a hero, and heroes _have_ to be nice! He's the one who's been trying so hard to fix our relationship and I am _not_ going to ruin his hard work! It's my fault that he's sad now and it's my responsibility to fix this...and to make sure Sonic doesn't regret taking me in.

So, all I have to do now is act normal and keep my problems to myself, that's easy enough. If he wants me to do something, I'll do it and if he wants me to stop, I'll stop…

Well… except for sleeping and wearing this watch, but he won't know about that… right?


	11. Shopping Trip!

Brother of Mine

Short but I wanted to put a happier chapter where nothing _explicitly_ bad happens in here somewhere, y'know, just to show what their relationship might look like without all the angst. Thank you to all those who read/review/favorite/follow this story! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

* * *

Chapter 11: Shopping Trip!

Sonic's POV:

 _It's 9 a.m. already huh? Jeez, time sure seems to be flying these days,_ I thought while getting out of bed. My eyes briefly glanced at the calendar. _Oh yeah, only one more week till Tails tells me why he was sad... I actually forgot about that. Hm, he probably got over it by now, we haven't argued once since I gave him that pep talk!_

I yawned and stretched my arms as I walked into the hallway. Tails' door was still shut as usual. I went to go knock but then decided to let him sleep in today when I remembered that we had gone exploring all day yesterday. _And 'cause I'm the one who told him to slow down and enjoy life after all. Still sorta surprised it worked this well too! Maybe my social skills aren't as bad as I think!_

"Milk, cheese, butter, half-eaten chili dog, and an egg… man, we gotta stock up on groceries soon." Sighing in defeat, I started making breakfast with the uncooperative ingredients which I hoped would be at least half-tasty. But knowing my _cooking_ skills, that probably wasn't going to happen.

Tails' POV:

 _It's finally 9 a.m.… thank Chaos,_ I thought as I rolled over on my bed. Even without a mirror I could tell that my fur was messy from tossing and turning around ever since I got in bed (It was either that or an electric shock, which if you couldn't tell already, I do NOT like at all).

Sonic's footsteps thumped from outside the door as I kicked my feet over the edge of the bed and sat up tiredly. That's all I could think of right now. I was tired-no wait, scratch that, I was _reaaaaaaaaalllyyy_ … tired. So tired I couldn't even think of a word to use other than tired, that's how tired I was.

The smell of breakfast came flowing through the door and I almost throw up. Not from the smell! - I mean, but from the tummy cramp I suddenly got.

"Urghh…!" Oh _why_ did Sonic's cooking have to be so _good_? Compared to my surprise 'breakfast' a couple weeks ago, he could slap two moldy sandwiches together and it would still taste better. That's how good he is at it.

I quickly rubbed my hungry tummy a couple times, trying to ignore the feeling as I stepped out of my room and into the kitchen.

* * *

"Good morning Sonic." Tails said upon entering the kitchen and taking a seat at the table.

"Mornin' lil' buddy," Sonic casually replied before realizing who he was talking to, "wait a sec... what are you doing up so early?"

"... guess I wasn't as tired as I thought I was, unless you want me to go back to sleep."

"No way, if you're not tired I'll take your word for it. Besides, I was gonna wake you up for breakfast soon anyway." Sonic said before placing a plate in front of the hungry cub, "I know it doesn't look that appetizing but at least it's edible," He stated scratching the top of his head awkwardly. "Sorry I couldn't make somethin better for you to eat, it's just that I forgot to go grocery shopping and since the store doesn't open for another hour I didn't wanna make you starve for that long."

Tails took one mouthful of the plain egg themed breakfast in front of him and instantly formed a grin on his face. "You kidding me? This stuff tastes awesome!" He said before taking another big bite.

Sonic pat Tails' head and grinned at the sight, "and that's why you're my favorite four year old, you always eat whatever I give you." He said taking a seat across from the kitsune. "When I was your age I wouldn't eat _anything_ other than chili dogs."

Tails perked his eyes up into a "really?" look.

"Oh yeah you shoulda seen me," Sonic continued reminiscently. "I used to spit everything I ate back at my parents unless it was a chili dog. I remember this one time my mom made me try broccoli and boydid _that_ not end well!" He motioned his hands and explained how nasty the aftermath of that particular incident was in just _a little bit_ more detail than his singular audience was comfortable hearing.

Tails smiled and nodded through it all, always fascinated by the hedgehog's (in this case, not so much) heroic stories. Inwardly however he was a bit surprised to hear Sonic talking about his past so unrestrictedly, seeing as how neither of the two had so much as spoken of their separate pasts for the better part of a month now.

Pretty soon breakfast was finished, sped up by the lack of available ingredients (or when Sonic said he accidentally spat a half chewed chunk of broccoli into his mother's nose... yeah, even Tails lost his appetite after that) and, much to their surprise, it was still 9:30.

"Want me to help you wash the dishes?" Tails asked as he clambered onto the counter top.

"Nah, there isn't that much anyway," Sonic said.

"Oh, okay."

Tails looked around the kitchen trying to find something else he could do to help Sonic but everything seemed nice and orderly already.

"Hey Sonic, what are we gonna do today?" Tails asked while twiddling his thumbs.

"Well we could always explore more of Emerald Hill Zone if you want," Sonic said wondering what other places they could go, "we already went to Chemical Plant Zone yesterday, no way we're going to Aquatic Ruin or Casino Night Zone, so that leaves Hill Top, Mystic Cave, and Oil Ocean if you still wanna go exploring."

Tails scrunched his face up in thought before he asked, "do _you_ wanna go exploring?"

"Me? Well, we found enough rings already so I guess we could do somethin other than exploring...but what?"

Tails stopped staring out the window when he realized that Sonic had directed the question at him, "I'm fine with anything you wanna do," he said quietly.

"Alright then… how about we go toooooo- Twinkle Park!" Sonic grinned.

"Twinkle Park?" Tails repeated doing his best to remain interested despite the idea already not settling too well inside him.

"C'mon you can't tell me you've never heard a' Twinkle Park!"

Tails shook his head.

"...the best amusement park on Mobius?"

Another no.

"...the fastest, biggest rides on the entire planet?"

...

"Oh we are SO going there now!" Sonic said grinning as he grabbed Tails' hand and led them to the doorway. "C'mon Tails, we gotta show you how to have some REAL fun!"

"But Sonic!" Tails whined as Sonic practically dragged him to the door. "What about the dishes? And the grocery shopping?" He let out a small gasp. "What about Robuttnik?"

"Robuttnik huh?" Sonic pondered putting a thumb to his chin. "You're right... he has been pretty quiet for a while, and if he does attack while we're at Twinkle Park then I'm not sure if there's any way for me to know about it," he sighed, "and... groceries," he glanced back at the fridge. "Right...I almost forgot about that."

"We don't have to go to Twinkle Park if you don't want to,I'd much rather do something if you want to do it too."

"Jeez kid, you've sure been giving me a lot of options to choose from lately. Somethin happen that I should know about?" Sonic asked but Tails quickly shook his head. "Riggghhht... and you're sure it's not 'cause you're scared to meet other people?"

Tails timidly held his hands together wondering what answer would make the hedgehog happiest, which was just enough time for Sonic to draw his own conclusion.

"C'mon Tails, there's nothing' to be afraid of," Sonic said kneeling down to the kitsune's height. "So you had a bad first experience, nobody hates you for it. None of what happened that day was your fault, okay? And besides, nobody got seriously hurt so it all ended well anyway."

"I guess..." Tails muttered lowering his ears.

"So, what d'ya say lil' buddy?" Sonic asked slowly raising his fist, "you wanna go to Twinkle Park?"

Tails let a small grin form as he returned the fist bump. "You bet Sonic!" he beamed.

"I'll be with ya every step of the way, now let's go! Twinkle Park here we come! ... _right_ after we go grocery shopping."

* * *

Tails sighed leaning his elbows against the handle of the shopping cart. "Sonic do I _have_ to sit here?" he half-grumbled to the hedgehog in front of him.

"Sorry Tails but you saw the sign, all children five and under gotta sit in the cart, store policy." Sonic replied apologetically, referring to the sign that confronted the duo at the store entrance. "And with how smaller you are compared to other kids, you could pass off as a three year old to anyone who doesn't know you."

"But it's so _embarrassing_ ; everyone can see me up here." Tails checked over his shoulders with a frown.

"Don't worry alright, doesn't look like a lot of people are here and we'll hurry up and get the groceries so we can go to Twinkle Park, sound good?" Tails nodded. "Good, you still got that list of stuff we gotta buy I asked you to write down?"

The little fox began rummaging through his tail giving Sonic a chance to look around. There were only a couple other people around them which was probably due to the fact that the store had just opened, and luckily none of them seemed to be that interested in the hero or the two tailed fox.

"Got it," Tails said handing Sonic a folded up piece of paper.

"Thanks bud," Sonic glanced around a final time before refocusing his attention back to his own shopping. "Uhh... Tails?"

"Yeah?"

"...what does all this say?" Sonic asked bewilderedly.

Tails leaned forward and saw the horribly crude handwritten words on the sheet. His finger traced the lines of what he presumed to be words as he fruitlessly tried to make sense of his own writing.

"That's umm...I'm... I don't actually know..." he nervously admitted.

"C'mon, ya don't know how to read your own handwriting?" Sonic teased, "then again, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to _draw_ the list. Hey, is this an elephant?" He said rather amused by the situation and pointed at a large cluster of doodles, "Tails, you know we can't eat other Mobians!"

Tails' face turned red in embarrassment as other customers overheard the remark and Sonic just continued to playfully mock him. "I think I see a carrot here, and a couple birds, don't think we can buy those here though. OH look, at least you got the egg right, although for some reason it has a pretty big moustache..."

"Sonic!" Tails cried childishly throwing his hands up to cover his face in embarrassment.

Sonic couldn't help but laugh at the timid cub's reaction. "This is exactly why I brought you along Tails," he sighed happily patting the fox's head.

"To mess up your shopping lists?"

"Hehe, funny, but not exactly," Sonic said as he pushed the cart down the nearest aisle to begin stocking up. "It's 'cause you somehow make everything seem less boring to me."

Tails perked back up, no longer red faced but a bit surprised. "I do?"

"Oh yeah, big time too," Sonic grinned, "can't even tell you how much you affected my life since we met cause I'm not exactly sure myself. But I guess the best way to describe it is it's been a lot more fun having you around."

"But aren't you mad that I messed up the list?"

"Oh, that thing?" Sonic sneered pulling the sheet back out and crumpling it into a ball, "I never liked following instructions anyway. Always preferred doing things my own way, even if it'll take us a bit longer than I want."

Tails looked longingly at the passing aisles of fully stocked shelves, but never once missed a word said by the hedgehog. "But if that's true, then why'd we make a list anyway?"

"Guess I just wanted us to spend more time at Twinkle Park, since you've never been there before... and cause it's special chili dog day." Sonic muttered as an afterthought.

A slight frown formed on Tails' face, "If you want me to I could start practicing writing again, but I might need a little help 'cause eh… I haven't written anything in about two years."

Sonic grinned, "Don't worry about it Tails, you're still only four years old. I was just thinking that if you could fix a plane then for sure you could do something as simple as writing. I'll help you out if you want, would be kinda nice if I taught you something for once instead a' the other way around." He smirked bringing a smile to the younger fox's face. "But don't worry about it for now k? Let's just finish shopping so we can head over to Twinkle Park."

The rest of the shopping trip went by in a blur, much to Sonic's surprise. Though he somewhat expected it after he started racing the cart up and down the aisles and making race car noises to entertain the excitable kitsune, keeping true to his belief that bringing Tails along would make the trip less boring and thereby more fun.

The duo soon found themselves in the check-out line where, to Sonic's amusement, Tails was purely ecstatic that he was finally able to get out of the 'baby seat' and walk around on his own.

"Hi, how are you tod…" The cashier greeted them but abruptly stopped when she noticed _who_ she was talking to. "Oh my gosh! You're Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"The one and only!" Sonic proudly replied with a grin.

"I can't believe this is happening!" She beamed, "Do you come here often? I'm new here but nobody told me about _you_! What's it like fighting Robotnik? And how do you do it if you're so young?"

Sonic smiled awkwardly at the barrage of questions, not having fully adapted to being famous yet. "It ain't an easy job, but someone's gotta do it, right?" He stated.

"Of course but I mean- you're so young! It's incredible how you've survived for so long," she said. _Gee, thanks for the encouraging words,_ Sonic sarcastically thought. "What do you do you're not fighting Robotnik? Run around trying to find another one of his bases? Creating a plan to take back Robotropolis? Or donating to charity and helping the poor?"

"…actually I sorta run around until I get tired and take a nap," Sonic replied bluntly, grinning in amusement when he saw her mutter an 'oh' in disappointment. _Heh, fangirls. Well, at least she doesn't look like she'll ask any more questions._ "But today we're going to Twinkle Park, right lil' buddy?" He said in an attempt to get at least get Tails to say something but became confused when there was no reply.

"Tails?" Sonic looked down and saw the little fox staring _very_ intently at something. Following his gaze, Sonic noticed exactly what the cub was looking at. He grinned, "A mint flavored lollipop huh?"

Tails snapped out of his longing-trance and turned from the lollipop display to his best friend, then back again. "Yeah…" he muttered sheepishly, "mint candy is sorta my favorite."

"Well what are ya waiting for?" Sonic asked bringing a confused look to Tails' face. "Go get one."

"Wha? Nah, it's alright," Tails said scratching the back of his head, "I didn't say I _wanted_ one, I just y'know… liked looking at it. Besides, it wasn't on the shopping list anyway, we don't need it."

"I don't know…" Sonic began with a sly grin, "I mean, it _could've_ been on the list… but we just can't read it."

Tails looked up in surprise, his mouth forming an 'O' shape. "You really mean it Sonic?"

Sonic couldn't hold back his own smile from the sight. "Go on lil' buddy, pick any one you want."

"OH thank you so much!" The cub squealed catching the hedgehog in a surprise hug before dashing off to the lollipop display.

"Jeez, didn't think he'd be _that_ happy over a lollipop," Sonic said to himself as he returned to the checkout line. Not even a moment later he felt a tug at his hand prompting him to look down to see the giddy kitsune holding the lollipop in his hand.

"That was fast," Sonic said taking the sucker and placing it with the other items before turning his attention back to the cub. "You sure you only wanted one? Most kids your age would've asked for the whole display!"

An abrupt cough brought Sonic's attention back to the cashier who was once again looking at him in admiration.

"That'll be 152 Mobiums please."

Before he could even pull out his wallet Sonic felt another tug at his arm.

"Sonic that is _way_ too much money!" Tails whispered fearfully much to Sonic's confusion. "Maybe we shouldn't get the lollipop, yeah, that might be a good idea."

Sonic held back from laughing at the cub's scared face. "Tails _one_ little lollipop isn't going to change the price that much! Besides, I told you already didn't I? I don't mind spending a little more money for you."

Before Tails could say anything else, Sonic handed the necessary amount of money over making the fox gasp in surprise.

"You didn't have to do that you know…"

"I know, but I wanted to," Sonic grinned.

"Alright, here's your chang- Oh my gosh!" The cashier cried, confusing the two. "He's soooooo cute!" She squealed leaning forward to get a closer look at the four year old fox.

"Hah, he sure is," Sonic laughed ruffling Tails' hair while the cub looked down disappointedly.

"And so well behaved too! I didn't even know he was there until I looked over the counter!" She added to which Sonic agreed to.

"C'mon kiddo, let's get these groceries back home so we can head to the park!" Sonic said picking up the bigger bags so Tails could get the smallest.

"Thanks for coming! Have a nice day!"

"Heh, she seems awfully cheerful," Sonic noted as the two left the store. "See? Didn't i tell ya that nothing bad would happen?"

"Yeah," Tails agreed, although his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.

 _Wonder what he's thinking about,_ Sonic thought as he rummaged through one of the bags. _Probably what we're goin' to do at Twinkle Park today… ah, here it is!_

"Hey Tails," perking up to the sound of his name, Tails turned to see Sonic holding the mint lollipop out towards him.

Tails gingerly took the sucker and stared at it, then at Sonic as if he were asking "can I eat it now?"

"What are ya lookin' at me for?" Sonic grinned. "Open it! I know you wanna!"

Tails smiled guiltily before eagerly ripping the wrapper off and sticking the lollipop in his mouth, letting out a satisfied hum.

"Thank you Sonic."

"Anytime lil' buddy." Sonic said making a mental note to buy more mint flavored candy for the cub. "C'mon, let's go home."

After a while of walking in silence, Tails' ears suddenly twitched as they picked up on sound that piqued his interest.

"Uhh… Sonic?"

"Yeah?" Sonic turned around to see Tails pointing at the building beside them. Following it, the hero was met with an image he most _certainly_ did not like plastered across several TV screens.

"Robotnik…" he sighed.

If it wasn't obvious enough already, the esteemed doctor had just launched _yet_ another attack, this time having decided to target the city of Westopolis.

"Sorry Tails, looks like we're gonna have to go to Twinkle Park tomorrow instead." Sonic said apologetically as he scooped the cub up, "c'mon, I'll take you home before I go fight Robuttnik again."

In a blur and rush of wind, Tails felt his surrounding morph into the hedgehog's usual speedy blobs and blotches. If he were truly honest with himself, he wasn't that disappointed that their trip had been postponed, and may have even been relieved by it a bit. But he knew that was wrong.

With a final goodbye, the hero ran off leaving him standing on the doorstep of their shared home. And in the comfort of the still cold air, Tails wondered whether what he was doing was right.

 _But then again, how could it be wrong?_ He thought with a slight grin, _I'm not causing any more problems, Sonic's happy-_

"OW!" He suddenly yelped rubbing his wrist in pain.

… _and... that's all that matters._


End file.
